Pictures of the Past
by Envioussnake
Summary: *Spoilers about Roy and Riza's past* From the time Roy arrived at the Hawkeye household, things were hardly predictable when it came to his new Sensei and his Sensei's daughter, Riza. Royai. Story about Roy and Riza's childhood. Rated T for now.
1. Arrival

**Title: Pictures of the Past**

**Chapter One: Arrival**

**Pairings/Characters: Royai**

**DISCLAMER: I own nothing other than the fanfiction itself**

**A/N: This is going to me a multi-chapter story focusing on Roy and Riza's childhood. I am not sure how long this will end up being, but I am looking forward to writing this.**

**Chapter One: Arrival**

As the train came screeching to a halt, Roy Mustang could not help but think that there had been some sort of terrible mistake. He had boarded the train in Central after saying goodbye to his aunt and 'sisters' with nothing but his suitcase in his hand, but he never expected that the locomotive would take him into what was surely any city boy's living nightmare. Looking out the window, he could see only snow-covered ground and trees – there wasn't a building in sight other than the train station itself. Yet it was unmistakable; the name on the white-blanketed sign was correct. Wondering what it was he had gotten himself into, he pulled his suitcase from the overhead compartment and wrapped himself in his long, black coat. He took a deep breath and stepped off the train, his boots crunching in the snow. A gust of icy wind buffeted him in the face, and he lifted the collar of his coat before walking off towards the station building. He entered through the door and approached the man sitting behind the counter, asking, "Excuse me, but do you know where Berthold Hawkeye lives?"

The man looked up at him, nothing less than confusion painted across his features. This look unnerved Roy, who shifted his weight from one foot to another. The man set down his pen before saying "He lives just outside town, about a half-mile north. But I don't know why you'd want to go there – that man doesn't like visitors."

Roy frowned, but nodded. "How do I get into town?" He asked, ignoring the man's warning about the alchemist.

"You just take the road outside here and head straight. You'll get there in no time."

"Thank you." Roy turned, walking out of the station.

"Good luck, kid!" The man called after him, and Roy could have sworn he heard him laugh.

It seemed like forever that Roy trudged through the snow. His cheeks were tinged pink from the cold and he could see his own breath, but the determined fifteen-year-old pushed on despite the difficulty. Finally he could see the lights of the town, and he inwardly scorned the famed alchemist for not just living in Hicktown, Amestris, but also for living _outside _the godforsaken boondocks. In reality, the town was well-kept and quaint, just like the paintings he had seen depicting villages in the wintertime that Central shop owners often hung during the colder seasons. However, due to the fact that he was currently half-frozen and missing the comfort of his hometown, Roy could think of no worse place on Earth.

He swore through clenched, chattering teeth as he trudged through the snow, trying in vain to keep the icy white flakes from littering his raven hair and freezing his scalp. The glowing windows of the buildings he passed beckoned him in, but Roy trudged on. He shivered in the cold, but just when he was about to give up he saw a house along the road he was following. With his goal in sight, Roy picked up his pace, determined to reach the home. It was Hawkeye's house, he was sure of it – if it wasn't, then he would be forced to find an inn for the night, and Roy was too stubborn to admit that as even a possibility.

He stopped short in front of the house, hesitating. The snow barely covered the squalor the home existed in – shutters hung off their hinges and the metal gate was covered in rust, and that was just a few of many other things that made the house appear unkempt. This couldn't possibly be Berthold Hawkeye's home; an alchemist of his caliber wouldn't live in a place such as this. Even so, maybe the people who lived here could tell him where to find his new sensei. With no small amount of trouble he managed to jostle open the rusted gate and made his way to the door. He raised his hand and rapped his frozen knuckles upon the wood, praying to whatever gods there may be that someone would answer the door. After several moments he knocked on the door again, certain that someone was home due to movement he saw inside. A few seconds passed before the door cracked open, and Roy breathed a sigh of relief.

"Can I help you?"

Roy looked down to see a young girl peeking out at him from the crack in the door. She looked up at him with suspicion in her hazel eyes, her lips pulled into a slight frown. She was pretty but at least three years younger than he was, and she seemed to be hiding behind the blonde locks that spilled over her small shoulders.

"Um, yes, my name is Roy Mustang. I am looking for Berthold Hawkeye." Roy said, slightly unnerved as he stood beneath her evaluating gaze.

The girl blinked once before opening the door further. "Come inside, but take off your coat and boots by the door – you're covered in snow."

Confused but not about to refuse an invitation to get warm, Roy followed her inside. He pulled off his coat and removed his boots, flexing his fingers as feeling started to come back to his body; it was that warm, almost pleasant pain that comes with the return of blood-flow. He noticed the young girl had left him, and he started down the hallway to look for her. It didn't take long for him to spy her in the kitchen, and he watched for a moment as she bustled about, almost ignoring his presence altogether. He found it slightly rude that she had yet to answer his question, so he posed it again. "Can you tell me where I can find Berthold Hawkeye? I'm his new apprentice and I'm supposed to be at his home by nightfall."

"He is in his study. He doesn't like to be interrupted, so you can take a seat there if you want." The girl said, nodding at the kitchen table.

"Wait, so this is his house, then?" Roy asked, looking around him. This man was an alchemist – shouldn't he have better living conditions? "And who are you, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Yes, this is his house. And I am his daughter: Riza."

"He never mentioned having a daughter."

"He never mentioned getting a new apprentice, either."

Roy blinked once, looking at the girl. She had a sharp tongue, and he couldn't decide if she was being rude or simply honest. He took a seat at the table, turning his chair so he could face her. "So how old are you?"

"Twelve, almost thirteen."

"I'm fifteen." Roy said, even though he was not prompted to say so. He glanced at the pot resting on the stove. "What are you making?"

"Stew. It's nice to have something warm on a day like this."

"But why are you the one making it?"

"No one else is going to do it."

Roy wasn't sure if he had imagined the slight bitterness in her voice. "Why do you say that?"

"You ask a lot of questions."

"I want to be an alchemist – I have to be curious." Roy smirked.

"For your sake, I hope you're good enough. My father doesn't take on many apprentices, and the ones he does take on never make it past the trail period. They're all older than you, too. The youngest before you was seventeen." Riza glanced at Roy over her shoulder, as if she could guess his alchemical prowess just by his physical appearance.

"Why did they leave?" Roy asked, curious.

"They didn't – not of their own will, at least. My father didn't think they were good enough, so he expelled them." Riza said with a shrug, for the fates of these prior students didn't affect her in the slightest. She walked over to one of the wooden cabinets and withdrew a mug. "Do you want some tea? Maybe coffee?"

"Coffee would be nice."

"I prefer tea." Riza said matter-of-factly. Nonetheless, she walked over to the coffee pot and began to brew his drink.

Roy wasn't sure what her opinion of him was – unlike the girls in Central, she was exceedingly difficult for him to read. However, she intrigued him. She was a challenge, and he was going to enjoy deciphering her over the next several months. That is, if he lasted that long.

**A/N: Up next – Chapter Two : Meeting Berthold**

**Roy meets his new sensei and Riza warms up to him a little**

**The next chapter should be up in about a month.**

**Rate and review – it makes me happy :)**


	2. Meeting Berthold

**DISCLAMER: I own nothing other than the fanfiction itself**

**A/N: Thank you for all the awesome faves and reviews! :) I am very happy that Chapter One went over so well.**

**Chapter Two is a continuation of Chapter One in that it occurs on the same day. Chapters will not always be this way, however I will let you know if more than one chapter occurs within the same day or if there has been a significant time skip.**

**Chapter Two: Meeting Berthold**

Roy stood by Riza, leaning against the counter as he watched her cook. Over the last hour she seemed to have warmed up to him, if only a little bit. There was still no sign of her father, but Roy didn't mind – he was having fun talking to Riza. While he lived with several girls back home in Central, they weren't exactly his age, and, though he enjoyed seeing the reactions of his friends when he was seen with them, he couldn't deny that Riza was more capable of holding an intelligent conversation than any of his 'sisters.' In the short time he had known her, he discovered Riza lived with only her father, she loved to read, and she had always wanted a dog.

"The other week Catherine and I were walking through Central and saw a man giving away dogs. We were tempted to bring one home, but we knew Aunt Chris and the others would make us bring him back." Roy recounted a smile on his face.

"You make it sound like you have a huge family – you have a lot of sisters." Riza commented.

"Well, they're not really my sisters. I'm adopted, and I live with my aunt. But they're not even my sisters in that way, either. They work for my aunt. I grew up around them, so they're like family."

"What is it your aunt does?"

"It's hard to explain - " Roy broke off when he heard the sound of footsteps heading down the hallway. He looked over to see a tall man standing in the doorway. He had long, blonde hair and a face in sore need of shaving. Bags were prominent under his hazel eyes and his lips were pulled down into a frown that looked almost permanent.

"Father, you're just in time." Riza said, turning off the stove. She moved further away from Roy – though she had not been that close to begin with – and headed for the cabinets from which she withdrew three bowls.

Berthold ignored his daughter's statement, instead looking at Roy. "Who the hell are you?" He asked, his voice sounding slightly dry and raspy. The sharp edge in his tone caused Roy to feel nervous. "Why are you in my house?"

"I – I'm Roy Mustang, sir. You sent for me, remember? I arrived from Central today." Roy explained, looking at the older man. The man at the station wasn't kidding when he said Berthold wasn't welcoming to company. He gulped slightly as he stood under the flame alchemist's cold gaze.

"Mustang…" Berthold mused. "Ah, yes, the boy from Central. Very well, then." He nodded, and it seemed that he wasn't going to say any more on the subject. He took a seat at the table before turning his gaze to Roy once more. "What are you waiting for, Boy? Sit."

Roy could hear the impatience in his new sensei's voice and hurried to comply. He thanked Riza with a smile as she placed his bowl down in front of him, slightly shocked by the silence with which Berthold treated his daughter. He had not spoken to her once, even when she served him his dinner. Roy stifled a frown as he picked up his spoon. He looked over at Riza as she sat down at an adjacent side of the table, but even she didn't say a word – Berthold's presence seemed to have discouraged any and all conversation.

The three ate in awkward silence, the only sound that of utensils clinking against bowls. Roy shifted uncomfortably in his seat, suddenly pining for the loud, incessant chatter of his sisters. This wasn't a normal silence – it was heavy and thick, almost oppressive – and yet Roy thought he was the only one to notice. Berthold was lost in the recesses of his own mind, withdrawing a notebook from his pocket every once in a while to jot down some bit of information. Riza bowed her head silently over her bowl, staring at the table. She would glance occasionally at Roy with an apologetic look before once more focusing her eyes upon the table.

Unable to take the silence any longer, Roy set down his spoon and looked over at Berthold. "So, Master Hawkeye, when will I be able to begin my training."

Berthold looked over at Roy, and Roy could have sworn he saw annoyance flicker across his hazel eyes. He was unsure, however, because the look was gone as soon as it appeared.

"If you are that eager, you can start tomorrow." Berthold said flatly, looking at his apprentice. "But you will have to work your way up. Your first tasks are going to be just as essential. But you are far away from even dreaming about flame alchemy, Boy."

Roy frowned, unwilling to let himself become discouraged but still a bit disappointed. He nodded his head, looking over at his new sensei. "I understand. Just tell me what you need me to do."

"I'll make a list of things and have Riza give it to you in the morning." Berthold told him. Clearly finished with the conversation, he went back to eating in silence.

Roy looked over at Riza to see her glancing sideways at him, his frown mirrored upon her own lips. She did not look up at her father when he stood, finished with his meal. Berthold retreated to his study, so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't say another word. Left alone, the two teenagers sat in silence for a moment longer before Riza stood, picking up her father's bowl and bringing it to the sink. She sat back down to finish her own meal, looking over at Roy.

"Sorry about that, but that's just how he is. He's always been that way. Trust me, you get used to it." Riza assured him.

"So he's always that quiet?" Roy inquired.

"No." Riza said, looking down at the table. "He was just thinking about some important research, probably. Actually, he can have a pretty bad temper, and he snaps without warning. Trust me, it's easier to keep your head down and stay out of his way. He doesn't like questions, and so you'll want to just let him tell you when you are to progress with your training." Riza advised, and Roy had the feeling that she was speaking from experience.

"So this is normal?"

"Pretty much. He hasn't come out of his study recently except to run errands he doesn't think I can handle or that are too 'important' for me." Roy could swear he heard the bitterness return to Riza's voice as she spoke.

"So you run errands for him?" Roy asked. "And you cook, too?"

"I do everything around here. Like I said, my father rarely leaves his study. Everything else is my responsibility." Riza informed him.

"What about school?"

"I teach myself in my free time. We have plenty of books here, and I love to read. Besides, I am ahead of anyone in town that goes to the school regularly. I think I am better off, personally."

"But don't you get lonely?"

Riza was silent for a moment, looking down at the table. "Sometimes." She admitted. She then looked over at Roy. "But now I have you, right? If only for a little while."

Roy offered her a smile, nodding his head. "Like I said, before. I don't have any intention of leaving here any time soon."

**A/N: And now we see Riza warming up a little to Roy. I feel bad for her, personally, because I can't imagine her having many friends, if any at all. But now that Roy has come around, she'll gradually become happier and more confident with someone else in her life other than her father. But to see that, you'll just have to keep reading :)**

**Rate and Review!**

**Next time: **

**Chapter Three: You Call This Training?**


	3. You Call This Training

**DISCLAMER: I own nothing other than the fanfiction itself**

**A/N: The best part about me staying home for break? You guys get faster chapters! :p**

**Set just a few days after Chapter Two, this chapter gives a little more insight into Riza and Roy's growing friendship.**

**Chapter Three: You Call This Training?**

Roy drew his coat tighter around himself, blowing hot air onto his hands using his breath. With a frown he picked up the large shovel and, once more, dug the spade underneath the snow and tossed the white frost into the yard. He had no idea what shoveling a driveway had to do with alchemy, but he wasn't about to argue with Master Hawkeye. All the same, it was colder than hell outside, and he wanted nothing more than to be inside where it was warm. At this rate he was going to catch pneumonia – he was sure of it. Yet he knew that his usual procrastinating ways were not going to be accepted in the Hawkeye household, and so he kept shoveling.

Unfortunately, this was only the first on a long list of tasks Master Hawkeye had given him to complete that day. After he shoveled the driveway he was to fix the gate, repair the shutter on the north side of the house, and accompany Riza into town as she went shopping so he could aid her in carrying the bags home – apparently her list was rather large for this trip. His sensei had expressed indifference as to whether or not he used alchemy to complete these tasks, and this made Roy wonder if any of these tasks pertained to his training at all. It felt like he was being given busy work, and he didn't like it. With one last toss he cleared the walkway completely, and he headed around the house to the shed so he could put the shovel away.

When he walked out he saw Riza standing in the snow, wrapped in a white winter coat with a steaming cup in her gloved hands. She offered the cup to him, saying "I thought you might like some hot chocolate. It's too cold for you to be outside this long – I don't know what my father is thinking."

Roy took the mug from her gratefully, giving her a smile. "Thank you." He said before sipping the warm liquid.

"If it's possible, could you fix the gate and the shutter using alchemy? I need to go to the store and I would like to be back before dark."

Roy nodded his head. "That shouldn't be a problem. All I need is a ladder and some chalk."

"Would you mind if I watched?" Riza asked, not quite making eye contact with him.

Uncertain why she asked – Roy hardly found such tedious tasks interesting – but thankful for her company, Roy shrugged. "Sure, I don't have a problem with it."

Riza met his gaze, a small smile forming on her lips. Roy realized that was the first time he had seen her smile – at least genuinely – since he met her. "The ladder is in the shed. I know where Father keeps his chalk – I'll be right back."

Roy watched her as she trudged off through the snow. He then turned and walked into the shed, hoisting the wooden ladder over his shoulder and carrying it to the north side of the house. Riza was standing there waiting for him, a piece of white chalk in her gloved hand. Roy leaned the ladder against the wall, making sure it was firmly planted on the ground before taking the chalk from Riza. He scaled the ladder and began to draw a transmutation circle upon the wood paneling of the house. He then stuck the chalk behind his ear and placed both his hands on the circle, causing blue light to flash around the dilapidated shutter. If he was being honest with himself he would have admitted that he was showing off a bit.

Riza watched, wide-eyed as the shutter reformed and fixed itself. Her father never let her watch when he performed his alchemy, and so watching Roy do even this simple bit of alchemy was a rare sight for her. Her attention was broken away, however, when she saw Roy sway on the ladder. "Mister Mustang!" She exclaimed as he began to fall, his hand just missing a rung on the ladder as he tried to catch himself. Without stopping to think, she rushed over, managing to get a clumsy hold on him just before he hit the ground.

The force from Roy's fall sent them both tumbling into the snow, causing white flakes of snow to fly into the air around him. Riza's arms loosened around Roy's torso as she let him go. Roy rolled off of her, laying on his back in the snow. He let out a groan, placing a hand on his head. Roy looked over at Riza, concern in his obsidian eyes. "Are you all right?"

Riza sat up slowly, turning to look down at Roy. Flakes of snow clung to her blonde hair and stuck to her eyelashes. "I'm fine, but you're the one who fell."

"I'm okay. I just lost my balance." Roy assured her as he sat up, brushing snow out of his black hair. "God, that would have sucked if you hadn't caught me." He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Riza told him, a smile on her lips. All of a sudden she began to laugh, to Roy's surprise and slight pleasure. She closed her eyes, clutching at her sides as she laughed before falling back into the snow.

"What's so funny?" Roy asked, unable to keep himself from smiling as he watched her laugh.

Riza attempted to catch her breath, taking in a few gasps before she was able to speak. "That was the funniest thing I have seen in ages." She admitted, looking up at him from where she lay in the snow, hazel eyes shining.

Roy looked down at her, feeling a small pang of sympathy – he hadn't realized until now just how sheltered she was. He decided then and there that if he passed the trial period of his training and entered an actual apprenticeship, he would bring her to Central with him next time he visited home.

All the same, her laugh was an incredibly pleasing sound, and he vowed to hear it more often. "Well, I'm glad I could make you laugh." Roy said with a grin. Normally he would have taken a shot at flirting with her, but something about Riza was different and kept him from doing so. He didn't want to ruin their newfound friendship with a crappy pick-up line, and not just because she was Master Hawkeye's daughter. For some reason, Riza meant a little more to him than most of the girls he had met before, and he didn't really understand why just yet. It was unusual, but he decided he didn't mind.

Roy stood up and brushed the snow off of himself before offering Riza his hand. She reached up and took it, her gloved fingers wrapping around his bare skin. Riza pulled herself to her feet with his help and allowed him to brush the snow off her back where she could not reach. She bent down to pick the chalk up out of the snow before turning to look at him.

"You go put the ladder away, and I'll bring the chalk back inside. The gate can be fixed another time – if we don't leave for the store now, we'll never get back before dark."

Roy watched her turn and walk back to the house before picking up the ladder. He now had another reason to make it past the trial phase of his training – without him there, Riza wouldn't have any chance at interaction with someone her age. Feeling rather important due to his new self-imposed mission, he carried the ladder back to the shed and put it back in its proper place. Smiling to himself, he stuck his hands in his pockets and walked inside the house to meet Riza. It wouldn't be until later that he would realize he needed her at that time just as much as she needed him, though both were far too proud to admit it to themselves.

**A/N: I have decided to take some reader requests for chapters in this fiction, so if there was something you would like to have me write about pertaining to Roy and Riza's past, either send me a message or put it in a review. I may not write on all of them, but I will let you know if I have decided to give yours a shot :)**

**Thanks for all your awesome reviews – they make writing this story even more worthwhile for me.**

**Rate and Review, as always!**

**Up next:**

**Chapter Four: Flowers and Fears**


	4. Flowers and Fears

**DISCLAMER: I own nothing other than the fanfiction itself**

**A/N: This chapter is set approximately a month after Roy arrives at the Hawkeye household, meaning he is halfway through the trial period of his training.**

**Again, if there is something you would like to have me write on in this story, you can request through a review or message.**

**Chapter Four: Flowers and Fears**

Roy never thought time could fly by so fast. After staying with the Hawkeyes for over a month he had become good friends with Riza, and yet he still knew relatively little of his master. Berthold had given him books to study and practice with, but all of it pertained to the basics he had already mastered. With little else to do, Riza and Roy had gotten the house into a more inhabitable condition, one which Riza said she hadn't seen since her mother was alive. Roy still had jobs to do, however, and that was the very reason he was headed into town with Riza that particular afternoon.

It was relatively warm for the northeastern region of Amestris at this time of year, and the snow had ceased falling and was already beginning to melt. Life was coming back to the landscape, but it was a gradual process.

Roy's mind was jolted from its musings when he saw Riza dash odd the road, running into a field that was slowly becoming exposed from beneath the icy show. "Where are you going?" He asked.

"Mister Mustang, come here!" Riza called, stopping and turning to face him. She raised one arm in the air, waving him over.

Roy stuck his hands in his pockets and walked off the road, heading in her direction. "What is it, Riza?"

"Look." Riza pointed at the ground, where Roy saw a small yellow flower poking through the snow. "Daffodils – they mean spring is coming."

"What do you mean?" Roy asked, looking over at her with a puzzled expression. "It's just a flower."

"No, it's not." Riza insisted with a small smile. "I don't know about Central, but in this area these flowers are a sure sign of spring."

"That sounds like an old wives' tale to me rather than a scientific fact." Roy objected.

"Not everything can be explained with science, Mister Mustang." Riza informed him. "Use the other side of your brain for once. Life isn't any fun if you break everything down into numbers and theories. Sometimes you just have to let things exist simply because they _are._"

"You sound like an old woman."

"And you sound like a grouchy old alchemist too wrapped up in his theories." Riza bent down and picked the flower from the ground. "Whatever the reason is for them, they are still one of my favorite flowers." She turned her hazel eyes to Roy. "We had better keep going if we want to get home before nightfall."

Roy watched her for a moment as she started back down the road before following her, thinking about her words. The way she had described him made him sound like her father, and, no matter how excellent an alchemist Berthold Hawkeye was, Roy knew he never wanted to be like that man. Riza was right, and he knew it; he was becoming cynical, and if he continued to let that happen he would become just like his teacher. Roy decided then that the only thing he would allow himself to gain from Master Hawkeye would be pure knowledge – he would fight with everything he had to keep from absorbing the flame alchemist's sour disposition.

It was on that note that the two teenagers entered town, and it didn't take long for the customary glances and stares to fall upon them. Being related to or in any way associated with Berthold Hawkeye branded one as a prime candidate for social out-casting, as Roy had soon found out after arriving for the first time. By now he had gotten used to it, but he often wondered if Riza was truly indifferent to the treatment or if she was only wearing one of her masks that she had long-since perfected.

While most ignored them completely, there were some – probably belonging to groups opposed to alchemy, like visitors from the Ishbalan region – that gave them horrid glares. Roy's mouth turned downwards in a scowl, and he would not have hesitated to hit anyone who dared approach them. As it was, the two made it to the post office without incident, and Roy was able to obtain Berthold's package with little difficulty. It was an interesting and fragile balance: as long as Roy and Riza went about their business in a timely manner, no one said anything to them.

Package in hand, Roy and Riza left the post office, ignoring the residents of the town, who, in turn, ignored them. The sun was beginning to set over the horizon, and Riza's pace began to increase slightly. Now weighted down with the package, Roy found it more difficult to keep up with her new stride.

"Hey, Riza, slow down a bit." He called, now looking at her back as she walked ahead of him.

Riza looked at him over her shoulder. "We can't, Mister Mustang. I told you, we have to be back before nightfall."

"What, do you have a curfew?"

"Not exactly." Riza said, turning back ahead and walking up the road at the same pace as before.

Roy sighed and followed after her, unable to keep up as well as he would have liked. He blinked once as he had a peculiar idea, and he pushed himself a bit harder so he could match her pace. "Riza, are you afraid of the dark?"

"I am not." Riza snapped defensively, her eyes focused on the road in front of her. She refused to look at him, and Roy knew it was her pride that was keeping her from answering truthfully.

"There is nothing to be afraid of, you know." Roy told her, keeping her pace despite the difficulty.

"I'm not afraid of anything."

"You're a stubborn one, aren't you?"

"I'm not being stubborn; you're being ridiculous."

Roy knew when he was beaten, and he didn't press the subject any further. The sun continued to set, and as the light of the sunset turned into a deeper and deeper grey, Riza moved a little closer to Roy and wrapped her arm through his as he held the package in front of him. Roy still didn't say a word.

"I don't like being unable to see what's around me." Riza admitted, keeping her eyes on the path. "it sounds stupid, but I don't like not knowing what's out there."

Roy looked over at her, saying "It's not stupid. It makes sense to me. Besides, everyone is afraid of something."

"Then what are you afraid of?" Risa asked in an almost challenging tone.

Roy thought for a moment as they continued to walk. "I guess my biggest fear is to have something happen to someone I care about and be powerless to stop it." He admitted.

Riza glanced over at him, the look in her hazel eyes unreadable. She didn't say anything at first, and for a while the two walked on in silence. Finally she spoke. "That's really noble."

Roy smiled slightly. "Thank you. And you know what?"

"What?"

"We're home."

Riza turned her gaze to the lights ahead of them and then up to the sky, which had since lapsed into complete darkness. She looked back to Roy, who was smirking at her. "You were trying to distract me." She said, and Roy gave a slight chuckle. "How did you know it would work?"

"Because I know you." Roy told her. "You're afraid of the dark because your mind can't stop thinking of possibilities. If I gave you something else to think about, you wouldn't be scared."

"You're never going to let me live this down, are you?"

Roy laughed, looking over at her with his most charming grin. "Not on your life."

**A/N: Rate and Review!**

**Up Next:**

**Chapter Five: Apprenticeship**


	5. Apprenticeship

**DISCLAMER: I own nothing other than the fanfiction itself**

**A/N: This chapter is set approximately a month after the last chapter, making it two months since Roy arrived at the Hawkeye house.**

**Chapter Five: Apprenticeship**

Two months. Two long months had passed, and yet Roy still felt like he was nothing more than an errand boy. It was immensely frustrating, and he had briefly considered leaving the apprenticeship of his own accord, but that had only been a passing thought. He was going to learn flame alchemy one way or another, and besides, he found himself unwilling to just leave Riza like that. Attributing his reluctance to a feeling of pity and friendship towards her and denying the possibility of anything else, he was unable to abandon her – to Roy, leaving her alone with her father would be nothing less than total abandonment.

All the same, he had little control over his own fate; the final say was Berthold's. His nervousness was clear during breakfast when he hardly touched the food Riza had made for him. Riza regarded him with a worried expression at first, but then she realized exactly what was going on.

"That's right – today makes two months, doesn't it?"

"Yeah." Roy said, poking half-heartedly at the egg on his plate with his fork. "I'm actually pretty anxious about it. I mean, Master hasn't given me any tasks relating to alchemy at all – all I've done is run errands. If he wanted to keep me on as an apprentice, he would have at least tested my ability, right?"

"Not necessarily. Father hasn't done anything different for his other apprenticeship candidates."

"But he kicked them all out."

Riza sighed, setting down her fork and looking at him across the table. "Have a little faith, Mister Mustang. You can't count yourself out just yet. Don't worry unless he actually kicks you out, which I don't think he'll do."

"Why do you have so much faith in me?" Roy asked, looking at her across the table.

"Because I know you are going to succeed." Riza told him with a small smile, making eye contact with him. Her confidence level had skyrocketed since Roy had first met her – two months ago she might have kept quiet and simply dropped her gaze. Now, however, she was far more outgoing, at least where Roy was concerned. "You love alchemy too much for my father to turn you away."

Roy sighed, taking a sip of the coffee Riza had made for him. "I hope you're right. If Master kicks me out, I don't know what I will do. I guess I might think about going into the military, if nothing else."

"Don't tell Father that – he hates anyone and anything having to do with the military. Telling him you would even consider joining is an immediate way to get yourself expelled."

"Why does he hate the military? They protect us and do good for the nation."

"Father doesn't see it that way. He thinks that State Alchemists use their power in the wrong way. I don't really know the specifics, but he has ranted about them before when he was angry."

"But his alchemy would make the perfect weapon." Roy pointed out, not arguing, but simply confused.

"He knows that. In fact, I can remember soldiers coming here and trying to recruit him back when Mother was alive. He chased them off our property before they could even make an offer."

Roy paled slightly at this, finding it easy to imagine his master doing something of the sort. He opened his mouth to speak , but he shut it when he heard footsteps echoing down the hallway. He and Riza lapsed into the customary silence they always drifted into if Berthold was near. The footsteps stopped, and Roy looked over at his master, who was standing in the doorway.

"You, Boy." Berthold pinned Roy to the spot with his hazel gaze. "Come with me." Not waiting for Roy to follow, Berthold turned and walked back down the hallway.

Roy glanced over at Riza, who gestured swiftly to the hallway and mouthed the word "Go." The look in her eyes was urgent, and Roy knew better than to keep his master waiting. He stood up and hurried after Berthold, catching a glimpse of him as the man walked into his study.

Roy reached the door and hesitated before opening it, entering Berthold's study for the first time. He frowned slightly when the door refused to open all the way, and he saw that the edge had hit against a stack of very large books. Slipping through the partially opened door, he had to navigate stacks of boxes, paper, and books in order to make his way over to Berthold's desk. It was as if a library had exploded inside the room.

Berthold was currently scrawling in his notebook, enamored in a fleeting thought he found it essential for him to capture. Knowing better than to interrupt, Roy stuck his hands in his pockets and looked about the study. Even his chronic procrastination would not have allowed him to let a room fall into a state of disarray parallel to this. Berthold couldn't know where everything was – papers were strewn haphazardly about as though thrown in moments of frustration. Books lay open and closed in eccentric places, and Roy was afraid to touch anything out of fear of an avalanche of alchemical research papers.

Finally Berthold set his pen down and closed his black notebook. "Mustang." He said sharply, his hazel eyes glued to the flame of the lamp on his desk.

"Yes, sir?" Roy replied hastily, jolted out of his thoughts. He turned his obsidian gaze to his master.

"You are lazy and incompetent. You have far too much faith in your own abilities, and you are a long way away from learning any sort of flame alchemy." Berthold said bluntly, his eyes still fixed on the lamp. His lips were drawn into a deep frown.

Roy dropped his gaze from his master, looking to his feet. He knew what was coming, and he braced himself for the blow the words were sure to deliver. The brief silence that followed puzzled him, but he still did not look up.

"However…"

Roy blinked once in surprise. 'However?' What could that mean? He dared not get his hopes up, though, and left his gaze lowered so Berthold would not see his disappointment when he shot him down.

"However… You seem to have a lot of potential. If you work hard, I have little doubt you will succeed as my apprentice."

Roy looked up at Berthold, his heart racing. "Does that mean I can stay?" He asked, trying not to sound too excited.

"You can stay." Berthold nodded once. "But don't disappoint me, Boy."

"I won't, sir, you can count on me!" Roy said, a wide grin plastered upon his face. "Thank you, sir! I won't let you down!"

Berthold waved his hand dismissively, picking a large book up off the floor.

Roy strode as calmly as he could out of the study, careful not to knock over any books, and shut the door behind him as he left. He then rushed around the house like a madman, slipping over the hardwood floor a couple of times as he rounded corners. Finding he house empty, he ran outside, sprinting around the exterior of the house. He finally found Riza outside the shed, filling up the watering can. She looked up and saw Roy, who was hurtling toward her at full-speed.

Roy did not stop when he reached her, instead wrapping his arms around her in an embrace and spinning her in a circle. He set her back down on the ground, smiling like an idiot as Riza looked up at him confusedly, a light blush on her cheeks. A look of realization dawned across her features, and she exclaimed "You made it!"

"I made it!" Roy repeated, embracing her again and feeling her do the same. He let her go, hardly able to contain himself from excitement. Two months of hard work had finally paid off. He laughed in victory, not caring how manic he seemed at the moment. He tilted his head up to the sky and shouted "You hear that, world? Roy Mustang is going to be the best flame alchemist that ever lived!"

Riza smiled as she looked at her friend, feeling a strange sense of pride at his accomplishment. Even though she had nothing to do with his success, she still felt extremely proud of him. She watched him dash off inside, undoubtedly to write his aunt and sisters, and she smiled. "Congratulations, Roy." She murmured to herself, finding that his name was strange to say after calling him by his surname for so long, but it wasn't entirely unpleasant. Riza knew, however, that it would be a long time if she ever even had the chance to call the boy by his first name. She went back to filling up the watering can, still able to smell the lingering scent of Mister Mustang's cologne left over from their embrace.

**A/N: I had a lot of fun writing this chapter :) **

**And now Riza's beginning to realize that she has a crush on her father's apprentice. If only Roy would stop living in denial about it! Haha.**

**In about three month's time, the first scene from my oneshot Just Trust Me occurs, but I am not going to crosspost it here.**

**Up next:**

**Chapter Six: Headed to Central**

**There's going to be an arc about Riza and Roy traveling home to Central when Roy takes a vacation for his sixteenth birthday to see his family. There's going to be about a year-long time skip to get there, but it will be worth it. Oh, the fun I will have writing these next few chapters :)**


	6. Headed to Central

**DISCLAMER: I own nothing other than the fanfiction itself**

**A/N: This chapter is set approximately a year after the last chapter, just before Roy's sixteenth birthday. At this time, Riza is fourteen.**

**This will be a multi-chapter arc, and I am looking forward to writing it :)**

**This chapter is one of the longest, and yet I finished it rather quickly, so I didn't want to make you wait for it ;)**

**Chapter Six: Headed to Central**

"I can't believe we actually pulled this off."

Riza smiled at Roy across the booth in the train before looking out the window. She had never been outside her hometown before, but now she was headed straight to the nation's capitol.

Roy chuckled. "I know. I never thought Master would agree to let you come to visit with me."

"It's probably because he has to go on a trip out west. You know he doesn't trust us alone." Riza frowned. "It's annoying."

Roy smirked to himself, but the gesture was not missed by Riza, who promptly kicked him in the shin. "Shit, Riza!" He hissed through clenched teeth, rubbing his wounded leg.

"Get your head out of the gutter."

"If I did, then it wouldn't have any place to live." Roy said cheekily, dodging a second swing of Riza's foot. His laugh was drowned out by the whistle of the train, which had begun to slow. He watched as Riza turned briskly back to the window, her hazel eyes widening when she saw the city for the first time.

Roy smiled slightly as he watched her, pleased that he was able to get her out of that small town that hated her more than it should have been able to. The train slowly came to a stop, and the two teenagers began to gather their belongings.

Roy stood and handed Riza her luggage from the metal rack above their heads before pulling down his own. He set his suitcase down upon the seat before adjusting his jacket. "You ready?" He asked, turning to Riza.

"As I'll ever be." Riza nodded once, glancing out the window to the platform. "Who did you say was picking us up?"

"Aunt Chris. You'll be able to meet everyone else when we get home. Just don't let them intimidate you." Roy smiled reassuringly at her.

Riza only paled slightly and regarded him with a skeptical gaze. "You make me nervous when you say things like that."

Roy only chuckled, giving an uncertain smile as he placed a hand on Riza's shoulder and began to lead her off the train. "You probably should be."

Riza whipped her head around to look at him, her hazel eyes wide. "What the hell does-"

"Aunt Chris!" Roy called, waving one arm above his head. He grabbed Riza by the hand and began to pull her across the platform, giving her hardly any time to grab her suitcase before she had to rush to keep up with him. He stopped in front of a thicker-set woman clad in a purple dress whom Riza assumed to be his aunt.

It was highly probable that she had been beautiful – stunning, even – at one point in her life, but it was clear that the years had not been kind to her. Riza assumed her habit of smoking was a major factor in this, judging by the cigarette between her red-lacquered fingers. Her resemblance to Roy was evident – they had the same hair and eyes, though her hair had lost its sheen and wrinkles were beginning to show around her eyes. She lifted her cigarette to her ruby-red lips and inhaled, blowing smoke in the opposite direction of the teenagers before turning to her nephew.

"Roy, it's good to see you." Chris said, and Riza could hear the toll her smoking had taken on her voice, leaving it a bit raspy. She turned her black gaze to Riza, who had taken her standard approach when meeting strangers – lapsing into silence. "And who is this pretty young thing?"

"This is Riza – Master Hawkeye's daughter. I wrote and told you she was coming along, remember?" Roy reminded his aunt before looking over at Riza, who only gave a small smile. "She's a little shy around strangers, though."

"There's no need for that, Love. I promise I don't bite." Chris laughed, smiling down at her. "My name's Chris Mustang, but folks around here know me as Madam Christmas."

Riza was about to ask why, but Roy interrupted her before she had the chance. "We should probably be headed home – it'll be dark soon."

Chris nodded her head. "Your sisters can't wait to see you. And wait until they hear you brought along your little girlfriend." She chuckled, turning her back to them and heading off the platform.

"I'm not his-" Riza spoke up for the first time, unable to keep from blushing, but Chris was already walking down the stairs, unable to hear her. She sighed, glancing at Roy out of the corner of her eye.

Roy laughed, picking up both their suitcases. "Just ignore her. She and my sisters love to tease me, and that means they're going to tease you, too, by default."

"Wonderful." Riza muttered, walking after Roy as he followed his aunt. She had a feeling she was going to be in for a very long trip. She walked out of the station to see Roy loading their suitcases into the back of a very nice black car. Her eyes widened slightly as she approached it, seeming a little hesitant.

Roy slammed the trunk shut and looked over as Riza jumped at the sound. It didn't take long for him to put the pieces together. "Riza, have you never been inside a car before?"

"No one owns them where I come from – there's really no need to have them." Riza admitted, looking up at him.

"So that's a no." Roy said, amused.

"Is that a problem?" Riza countered, raising an eyebrow.

Roy laughed. "You know, I have a feeling you will like my sisters once you warm up to them." He opened the back door of the car, gesturing for Riza to get inside. "After you."

"Damn. If you can make Roy behave this well, we might just have to keep you around for a while." Chris said with a raspy laugh as Riza slid into the back seat.

Riza gave a small smile, looking at Chris from her spot in the back. "Maybe."

"See? That's the spirit." Chris beamed as Riza spoke. She waited for Roy to get into the car before pulling away from the station. "The bar's closed for the night, and the girls insisted that they make you dinner. I just hope they haven't burned the place down."

"God. Jessica, too?" Roy groaned.

"Cassandra's overseeing the whole thing. She probably kicked Jessica out of the kitchen a long time ago. But if she hasn't, you are going to try whatever she made and smile as you do." Chris narrowed her eyes at him through the rear-view mirror.

Roy shifted slightly in his seat, frowning. Trying to save a little face in front of Riza, he muttered "Fine."

Riza only laughed lightly to herself, and Roy's frown lessened just a little. Chris pulled the car around back of a building bearing the name 'Madam Christmas' in lights on a sign. So, that was why she used the name as her own, Riza decided. She got out of the car when Chris parked it and made a move for the trunk, but Chris' voice stopped her.

"Let Roy take care of that. He is the man of the house, after all." Chris chuckled, her voice sounding a bit dry.

"Oh… All right. Thanks, Mrs. Mustang." Riza said sheepishly, turning to the woman, who had already lit herself another cigarette.

"Call me Madam." Chris said with a grin as she waved out the match she held between her bejeweled fingers.

Riza smiled up at her, finding that is was easier for her to relax around the woman than it usually was for her when she met new people. She gave a small laugh, amused by the dirty look Roy gave his aunt as he lifted both the suitcases. Chris placed a hand upon Riza's shoulder and led her through the back door.

"Girls!" Chris called once they made it inside. "Roy's here! And he's brought along his girlfriend!"

"I'm not his girlfriend…" Riza corrected her, but Chris seemed not to notice. She sank back just slightly as the house seemed to give a collective high-pitched shout of excitement, and she could hear several set of feet making their way down the stairs. She wondered just a little too late what it was she had gotten herself into.

Riza watched with widened eyes as several beautiful women huddled around Roy, welcoming him back with embraces and a rather loud mix of voices. Used to quiet, Riza felt extremely out of her element in the bar. She was pleased that, so far, her presence had gone unnoticed, but that luxury was short-lived. Riza gave a shy smile as one of the women looked over at her, and she silently cursed her luck as the same woman left the group and began to approach her.

"You must be Riza." The blonde-haired woman before her said with a smile. She saw Riza nod. "My name's Jessica. We've heard a lot about you."

"You have?" Riza asked quietly, painfully shy but still curious.

"Yeah, Roy talks about you all the time in his letters. Isn't that right, Roy?" Jessica called over her shoulder, smirking.

"Shut up, Jess!" Roy snapped, only to be thumped upside his head by Chris.

"Mind your manners, Roy." Chris reprimanded before lifting her cigarette to her lips.

Unfortunately for Riza, the outburst had drawn the attention of the remaining four women to her. Before she knew it, she was surrounded without any possible escape.

"Oh, my God! Aren't you just adorable!"

"Look at those eyes!"

"How old are you, sweetheart?"

"Fourteen." Riza replied feebly, uncertain who had asked her the question.

"You should give her a job in a few years, Madam!" The woman with black hair said with a laugh. Roy paled visibly at the comment, but Chris only chuckled.

"We'll see, Cassandra. Now, girls, leave Riza alone. You're scaring her." Chris smirked, inhaling from her cigarette.

Jessica turned to Riza, a smile on her lips. "You know what? On Thursday we're going to take you shopping – and we're not going to take no for an answer, either!" She chimed. "Now, who's hungry?" She asked enthusiastically, clapping her hands together once before leading everyone into the dining room.

Once Riza was left standing alone with Roy, she looked over to him, her entire demeanor showing just how overwhelmed she felt. Roy simply smiled, walking over to her and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Ignore them. They can be loud and obnoxious, but they mean well. They like you, too – that's obvious." He assured her, chuckling slightly. "Now, come on, let's go het something to eat." He suggested, placing his hand on her shoulder as he led her into the dining room.

**A/N: I can already tell that I am going to love writing this arc. I'm looking forward to it just as much as you probably are!**

**Just to clear it up: Riza is now extremely comfortable around Roy, though she still has some trouble with new people until she warms up to them.**

**Rate and Review!**

**Up Next:**

**Chapter Seven: Plans Gone Awry**


	7. Plans Gone Awry

**DISCLAMER: I own nothing other than the fanfiction itself**

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and follows. I love you guys!**

**Chapter Seven: Plans Gone Awry**

Despite Roy's plan to leave at noon and spend the day around the city, Riza found herself unable to leave until about one o'clock. With little to do until the bar opened that evening, Roy's sisters had claimed Riza as their living doll. Riza had been able to sit through most of what she deemed as torture, but she had blatantly refused to let them get anywhere near her face with makeup. Finally reaching a compromise, Riza relented and allowed them to apply a little mascara on her lashes, but nothing more. However, there was no compromise when she refused to let them dress her.

"Fine, I'll wear it, but you lot have to get out." Riza stated boldly, sharply contrasting her timid attitude from the night before.

And that was how Riza found herself standing in front of the mirror in her room, wearing a lavender dress a little too short and far too low-cut for her liking. It covered her entire back, so that wasn't going to pose a problem, but she still didn't care for the way the fabric hugged her body.

"I'm not wearing this." Riza said adamantly through the closed door.

The door cracked open, and Jessica poked her head into the room. A smile crossed her lips and she opened the door the rest of the way. "Yes, you are!" She insisted. "You look beautiful!"

"No, I don't." Riza muttered with a frown. "People like me don't wear clothes like this."

"Well, you should." Jessica told her, taking a seat on Riza's bed and crossing her legs at the knees. "You're a pretty girl, Riza – you need to show it off."

"I'm changing clothes."

"You can't."

"And why not?" Riza challenged in a moment of confidence.

"Cassandra hid your suitcase." Jessica stated with a light laugh.

Riza rubbed her temples in annoyance. These women were trying her patience, and yet they seemed to find it amusing.

"You need to be a little more confident." Jessica mused, looking at her. "Those baggy clothes you wear hide your pretty figure. You're beautiful, but if you don't have the confidence to match it, no one'll ever know."

Riza turned to look at Jessica giving her a small smile. "Thank you, Jessica." It was rare that she heard someone compliment her like that. She turned back to the mirror, trying in vain to raise the neckline of the dress. "Do you really think I should wear this?"

"There's not a doubt in my mind."

"I guess I don't have much of a choice, either…" Riza mused. She sighed. "I'll wear it, but just this once."

Jessica beamed. "Great. Roy's waiting for you downstairs."

Riza paled slightly at this reminder, turning back to the mirror. "Maybe I _should _change…"

"Riza." Jessica said in an almost-scolding manner.

"Fine, fine. You win." Riza sighed, a little resentful. She grabbed the purse Cassandra had lent her – though if she could have worn pants, pockets would have avoided the problem of where to put her money. "But I want my clothes back when I get home." She demanded, her hazel eyes narrowed just slightly.

"It's a deal." Jessica nodded, smiling to herself.

Riza mustered up every bit of confidence she had in her as she walked down the stairs and into the lounge at the back of the bar. Her nervousness vanished when she saw Roy sprawled across one of the couches, fast asleep with a book covering his face. She stifled a laugh as she walked over to him, carefully lifting the book and marking his page before placing it on the table. Riza then reached out one hand, placing it on his shoulder and shaking him slightly.

"Mister Mustang?" She said softly, amusement leaking into her voice.

Roy drowsily blinked his eyes open, looking up at Riza from his spot on the couch. It took a moment for him to gather his senses, but once he did, he blushed a deep shade of crimson.

"Rise and shine, Mister Mustang." Riza said in a teasing tone, straightening up and looking down at him.

"I thought I told you to call me Roy." Roy sat up, looking over at her. He caught himself staring, and he looked away, hoping she hadn't noticed.

Unfortunately for him, Riza had noticed his lingering gaze, but she chose not to mention it, trying instead to fight back the light blush that had risen to her cheeks. She glanced away from him, murmuring "Old habits die hard, I suppose…" Thankfully, she managed to compose herself rather swiftly, and she turned back to him, asking "Are you ready to go?"

Roy nodded his head, standing and stretching a bit. "Yeah, I am." He smiled, walking over to her. "You're going to have a great time – you won't believe what the city is like compared to the town you live in."

"I don't doubt it." Riza said, draping the borrowed purse over her shoulder. "I'm already getting culture shock." She joked as she walked with Roy out onto the street.

"My sisters dressed you, didn't they?" Roy asked, amused.

"They hid my suitcase." Riza stated in all seriousness, her classic look of disapproval on her face. She tried not to let the tiny hint of insecurity grow any larger at his words.

Roy chuckled. "Why am I not surprised?" He smirked to himself before looking over at her. "But I have to give them some credit – it's a good look for you."

"You think so?" Riza blushed lightly, meeting his onyx gaze.

"Yeah, I like it."

Riza smiled. "Thanks. But, honestly, I want my pants back." She looked at Roy confusedly when he burst into laughter, not quite sure what she had said to make him do so. "What? I miss having pockets." She pointed out in her own defense.

After a moment, Roy was able to compose himself. He chuckled, shaking his head. "You really are something else." He told her with a smile.

"I'm just going to take that as a compliment and leave it at that." Riza said, smiling back at him.

The two teenagers stepped off the back roads and into the center of the city, and Riza's eyes widened at the scene before her. Cars zoomed past and buildings were so close together that they were touching. The roads were paved with asphalt – something she had heard of but never seen. Buildings rose so high that she counted more than three sets of windows upwards. The life she had read about in books was playing out right before her eyes, and it left her astounded and amazed.

Roy watched her with an amused smile, happy that he had brought her to the city with him. Finally, she was getting a taste of life outside her small town. He took her by the hand, jolting her out of her awestruck daze. "Come on, I know a great ice cream place just down the street. We can stop there and figure out what it is we want to do."

Riza nodded and walked with him down the sidewalk, leaving her hand in his. Holding hands with him was nothing new to her – they had walked this way many times before – but the sensation never failed to make her heart beat a little faster.

"Mister Mustang?"

Roy turned to look at her, a devilish smirk upon his lips. "I'm sorry, who?"

Riza rolled her eyes. "Roy." She corrected herself, thumping him on the arm when he donned a particularly smug expression. The two laughed, and whatever Riza had planned to say was long forgotten.

Before long, the two entered the small ice cream parlor off the main street, and Roy purchased them both ice cream cones. They walked back outside, taking a seat at one of the small tables underneath the awning of the shop. Not even five minutes had passed before Riza heard a rather loud and enthusiastic shout.

"Yo, Roy! Roy Mustang!"

Riza broke her gaze away from Roy and looked across the street, immediately spying the person who had called to her friend. A tall young man stood on the opposite side of the street, waving his hand over his head with a massive grin. He had dark hair and glasses, but the thing that drew the most attention to him was his vibrantly flamboyant purple shirt.

Roy groaned.

"Who _is_ that?" Riza asked uncertainly, leaning a little closer to Roy. All the while she watched the young man, who had just begun to cross the street without examining his surroundings. Her hazel eyes widened in panic as he barely avoided getting hit by a car, giving a small gasp. The man just laughed and waved after the car, but he remained at a standstill in the middle of the street until he had looked both ways before rushing the rest of the way across.

"He's my best friend." Roy informed her, trying to calculate if they had enough time to get away before the young man reached them. Unfortunately, he wasn't so lucky. By the time Roy looked up, the man was less than twenty feet away. "Don't listen to a word he says." Roy whispered urgently to Riza, who only looked at him confusedly.

Riza didn't have enough time to ask what he meant before the young man reached their table.

"Roy! You didn't tell me you were back in Central!" The young man beamed, looking down at Roy. "You know, I-" His train of thought was completely lost as his eyes fell upon Riza. He smiled, not necessarily in a flirtatious way, but in a manner that radiated good nature. "Who are you?"

"This is Riza Hawkeye, my master's daughter." Roy informed him grudgingly, and Riza could have sworn that she heard something between jealousness and possessiveness in his voice.

"It's nice to meet you, Riza. I'm Maes Hughes." Maes reached out, taking her hand that wasn't holding her ice cream and shaking it profusely.

Riza smiled back at him, feeling strangely confident for meeting someone the first time. Maybe it was due to Maes' friendly demeanor, or maybe it was simply because she was becoming bolder, but she wasn't about to question it. "It's nice to meet you, too."

**A/N: And let the games begin! Haha, Roy's possessive nature is going to be extremely entertaining to write.**

**Rate and review!**

**Up next:**

**Chapter Eight: The Third Wheel**


	8. The Third Wheel

**DISCLAMER: I own nothing other than the fanfiction itself**

**A/N: I finished this chapter early, so I am posting it now instead of making you wait. **

**Chapter Eight: The Third Wheel**

The slightly challenging look Roy shot Maes behind his back did not escape Riza's notice, and his jealousy was painted clearly upon his dace. Riza knew his jealousy was ungrounded, but she had long since learned that Roy was the jealous type, and nothing she could say would change that. She decided to just ignore his pouting – she was only being nice to Maes, after all. He was incredibly easy to warm up to.

"So, Roy brought you to Central with him, did he?" Maes asked, pulling a third chair up to the small table. He didn't give Riza enough time to respond to his question before turning to Roy. "Good choice, Roy; she's pretty."

Riza blushed lightly, suddenly enamored with her steadily-melting ice cream. Roy frowned, clearly annoyed.

"Go away, Maes." Roy said flatly.

Maes laughed. "Not a chance! I haven't seen my best friend in an entire year, and there's no way I'm passing up a chance to meet his girlfriend, either." He stated rather energetically, poking Roy in the arm.

"I'm not his girlfriend." Riza murmured for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past two days.

Maes looked at her confusedly, as if he hadn't quite heard her. He turned back to Roy, raising his index finger in a scolding manner. "You haven't asked her out yet? What are you waiting for, Roy? If you don't, she'll slip away before you know it. Girls like her don't stay single for long."

Riza shifted slightly in her seat, uncomfortable with being talked about as though she wasn't there. This didn't escape Roy's notice, and he narrowed his eyes at his best friend. "That's none of your business." He responded, and Riza swore she saw his eyebrow twitch.

Maes pretended not to hear him, saying "I have some great stories to tell you about from when you were gone." He beamed, seemingly unaware that he had made a massive change in subject.

"Actually, Maes, Riza and I were just leaving." Roy said, giving Riza a subtle glance, at which she nodded behind Maes' back.

"You were?" Maes asked, sounding confused and a little disappointed.

"Yeah, I promised to take her downtown." Roy said, making up an excuse to leave as he stood.

Maes' face instantly brightened. "That's where I'm headed! I'll come with you guys." He grinned, standing as well.

Riza looked at Maes, wondering if there was something wrong with him or if he was really just this clueless. Sure, he seemed like a nice enough guy, but she thought Roy had made it very clear that he didn't want Maes tagging along. She was surprised when Maes threw an arm about her shoulders, and for a split second she thought Roy was going to deck him.

Instead, Roy slipped into place on her opposite side, shooting Maes a glare that either he didn't see or chose to ignore. Roy was fuming, and Riza was starting to feel more than a little uncomfortable with the entire situation. It was with a smile on his lips that Maes lapsed into a story about a party Roy had missed, which was apparently much funnier in person than hearing it secondhand.

"And then you'll never believe what happened next -"

"Hey, Maes." Roy interrupted, causing his best friend to completely lose his train of thought.

"Yeah?" Maes asked, looking over at him.

"Did you hear they changed the enlistment age to eighteen?" Roy inquired, posing the first question that came to his mind as he saw the top of Central Command rising over a line of buildings before them. He was really just trying to find a way to get Maes distracted from telling his story or, better yet, get him to leave.

"Seriously?" Maes asked, his green eyes widening behind his glasses. He dropped his arm from around Riza's shoulders. "That means I can enlist in two months!" His eyes brightened. "Come on, I want to stop by Central Command." He beamed before rushing down the street. He stopped suddenly and turned back, gesturing for Roy and Riza to follow him before continuing down the sidewalk at a rapid speed.

Roy exchanged a glance with Riza. "So?"

"We should probably follow him, otherwise he might actually get hit by a car this time." Riza mused, rather happy to have Maes a decent distance away from her. "Even if he did get in my personal space."

Roy couldn't deny that he was pleased that Riza apparently didn't care for Maes being so near her. He took advantage of the opportunity and wrapped his arm around Riza's shoulders, noting that she didn't protest or try to pull away. In fact, she seemed rather comfortable with it. "Let's go find him, then." Roy said, walking with her down the street. Before long, Central Command came into view, and Maes could be seen talking to a guard in front of the fate. The guard nodded before opening the gate, and Maes turned to wave Roy and Riza forward.

Roy nodded to the guard as he walked past, his arm still around Riza's shoulders. He pulled her a little closer, enjoying the fact that she didn't seem to be annoyed by the gesture. Now that he thought about it, Maes wasn't all that far from the truth when he called her his girlfriend. They weren't officially in any sort of relationship, but she was definitely his best friend, if nothing else. Well, a best friend he could hold hands with and wrap his arm around. One who stayed up with him all night when he had to study for an evaluation Master was going to give him the next day. One who laughed at every joke he made. She was the first person he told everything to and the person who was happiest when he brought good news.

Not only that, but she was the person who could always brighten his day. She meant a great deal to him – perhaps even as more than a friend. The epiphany hit him with more force than anything had in his entire life.

He loved Riza Hawkeye.

Roy looked down at the girl beside him who was mesmerized by the large buildings around her. Men and women in deep blue uniforms walked past them, either giving them a not or a smile if they didn't completely ignore them.

Roy suddenly felt his heart beat quicken, and he had to fight the blush that was rising to his cheeks. Why was he acting like this? He had dated before, who why was the hazel-eyed girl walking by his side so different from the rest of them?

It was easy enough to answer his own question: she meant the world to him.

He was jolted from his thoughts when he felt Riza stiffen under his arm, ceasing in her tracks. He foolishly wondered for a moment if she could have heard his thoughts, but he soon dismissed the notion.

"What's wrong?" Roy asked, looking down at her worriedly.

"I don't know. I'm just getting a bad feeling for some reason." Riza murmured. She looked up at Roy. "Can we wait outside?"

"Um, sure." Roy consented, letting her move a bit closer to him when they turned, and he felt her arm wrap around his waist. As he turned, he saw a young soldier conversing with an older man wearing a military uniform and an eye-patch.

Roy watched in stunned silence as the Fuehrer looked in their direction and smiled, raising one and waving in their direction. Roy returned the gesture, a shocked expression on his face. Riza only quickened her pace, not stopping until they were past the gate.

"Who was that?" Riza asked, her arm tightening around his waist just slightly

Roy looked at her in disbelief. "You mean the Fuehrer of Amestris? Fuehrer King Bradley?" He told her, amazed that she couldn't recognize the leader of their country. Then again, with a father that hated the military as much as hers, he shouldn't have been so surprised.

"He gave me a weird feeling…" Riza muttered.

"What do you mean?" Roy asked, leading her away from the gate a little ways so they could sit down on the curb at the edge of the street.

"It's almost the same feeling I get when I'm in the dark. It's hard to explain…" Riza trailed off, sitting down on the curb beside him and resting her head on his shoulder. Her entire demeanor had changed, and it was clear that she had been spooked.

Roy pulled her a little closer, saying "You don't have to explain. It's okay." He decided to take a chance, and he briefly pressed a kiss to the top of her head. He was pleased to see that she didn't pull away, but the blush on her cheeks were hard to miss. Certain his own cheeks were just as red, Roy allowed them to sit in silence for a while before he ventured to speak again. "What do you want to do once Maes gets done inside?"

"I don't really know." Riza admitted. She blinked once and looked up at him as she came to a realization. "I have yet to get you a birthday present."

"You don't have to get me anything." Roy insisted with a shake of his head.

"I know that, but I want to." Riza said, picking her head up off his shoulder so she could look at him. "You're getting a present, and that's final." She smirked up at him.

Roy chuckled. "Aren't you a stubborn one?"

"You've always known that." Riza chimed with a teasing grin.

"Oh, would you just ask her out already?" Maes grinned as he approached Roy and Riza, a package of papers in his hand.

"Shut up, Maes." Roy snapped, standing up and then helping Riza to her feet.

"Fine, don't listen to me. But when you're thirty and alone, don't come crying to me." Maes shrugged. "I'm headed home to fill out these forms. Besides, it's about time for dinner, anyway." He smiled. "It was good to see you, Roy. Chris invited me to your party, so I'll see you on Friday." He then turned to Riza. "It was nice to meet you, Riza. I'll see you on Friday, too. Oh, and if Roy takes too long to make a move, just tell me and I'll knock some sense into him." Maes laughed before turning and heading in the opposite direction, not looking back as he held his hand over his head in a goodbye gesture.

After a long pause, Riza murmured "People in Central are very strange."

Roy shook his head. "No – just the people I know."

**A/N: And finally Roy realizes he cares for Riza – took him long enough! Haha :)**

**I'll either update later this week or the middle of next week – not quite sure which yet. I try to update weekly, but seeing as next Sunday's Christmas, I don't think that'll end up happening! Either way, I promise to get this next chapter to you as soon as I can.**

**Rate and review!**

**Up next:**

**Chapter Nine: Confidence**


	9. Confidence

**DISCLAMER: I own nothing other than the fanfiction itself**

**A/N: This one is shorter than the rest, and there is little to no Royai in it, but I felt like it needed to be posted in order for the story to progress. Just a short chapter about Riza's hesitance and getting past it.**

**If you don't like this chapter, I plan on making it up to you by posting a chapter I personally love in just a couple of days :)**

**Chapter Nine: Confidence**

"I just don't know what to do." Riza sighed as she pulled her shirt over her head. She tossed it aside before turning to examine, with the aid of the mirror, the intricate design inked in red across her back – it made her ill every time she saw it. Shaking her head, she turned back to the task at hand, pulling a shirt off of a wooden hanger. "I'm really confused." She admitted, speaking through the door of the dressing room.

"Yeah, I see where you're coming from." Jessica's voice came from the other side of the dressing room door. "Here." She draped several more articles of clothing over the door, which Riza grabbed and hung up to try on. "Roy's not exactly making things easy, either."

Riza nodded her head, even though Jessica wouldn't be able to see the gesture. No, Roy wasn't making things easy. She had known for over a year how she felt about him, but she had long since accepted that they were just friends. But now, all of a sudden, Roy was sending her different signals. She was thrilled, but at the same time she was afraid. Ever since her mother died when she was young, she had shut herself away to keep from getting hurt by anyone or anything.

The problem was that Roy saw the walls she put up around herself, and started beating them down with a sledgehammer. He was making her take risks she would never take, and each time she was playing closer and closer to the edge of the cliff she feared. What if she fell off and hit the ground? Could she recover?

Despite these fears, she was finding that she was willing to take more risks. She knew that she would throw herself off that cliff if Roy asked her to, and that was what scared her most of all.

"You all right?" Jessica asked through the door.

"Yeah." Riza said, thankful that there was a door between them so Jessica couldn't see how red her face had gotten.

"Anyways, the way Roy acts around you makes it perfectly clear that he likes you." Jessica continued. "But Roy can be pretty dense. You have to be direct about liking him, otherwise he'll never know."

Riza pulled on a pair of form-fitting jeans Jessica had picked out for her. She adjusted the black top she was wearing before stepping out of the dressing room, heading for the large mirror.

"I don't see why you don't show a little more skin – this top would be prefect." Jessica grabbed a shirt with spaghetti straps off the rack.

"I don't like to show my back." Riza admitted, adjusting the high collar of the turtleneck she was wearing.

"Why not? Do you have a scar?"

"Something like that." Riza had to fight to keep her expression neutral. She turned around, examining her reflection in the mirror. Jessica was right – she did look good in these types of clothes. As she gazed at her reflection, Riza was able to believe for the first time that she truly was beautiful. She turned back to Jessica, saying "The problem is that I don't want to risk anything by taking a chance. What if he shoots me down? We live in the same house – that would be terrible." And, most of all, she was afraid of having her heart broken.

"Trust me, Riza, the boy's head over heels for you. And what's life without a little risk? No one can know exactly what's going to happen, but that's where the fun lies. You never know unless you try." Jessica smiled at her. "You need to be more confident. You're a gorgeous and strong person – there's no reason for you not to be. You'll get walked on in this world unless you show that you can fight back." She advised, and Riza had the feeling that Jessica was speaking from experience.

Riza knew there was truth in her words – she had been thinking the same thing more and more lately. She wasn't the soft-spoken little girl she was before. No, Roy's presence in her life had changed that drastically. She couldn't even imagine what her life would have been like had she never met Roy or his sisters or Madam Christmas. There was even a visible difference in the way she carried herself – she was far more confident than she used to be.

Perhaps now it was the time to put this confidence to the test. She had to be prepared to take a leap of faith and be ready to come crashing to the ground – and she was oddly okay with that. She wouldn't – _couldn't _– spend the rest of her life in that run-down house just outside the town. If she did, the odds were high that it was going to kill her. Riza had to start taking chances at some point, and perhaps now was better than later.

**A/N: Rate and Review!**

**I promise the next chapter will be longer and have enough Royai to make up for it lacking in this chapter!**

**Up Next:**

**Chapter Ten: Acting On Impulse**


	10. Acting on Impulse

**DISCLAMER: I own nothing other than the fanfiction itself**

**A/N: I hope this chapter does justice to the hype I gave it :)**

**Chapter Ten: Acting on Impulse**

Friday came far sooner than Riza had expected, and, as Riza had become unusually accustomed to, she had been awoken by Roy's sisters dragging her out of bed and insisting that they choose what she wore that day. That was how she found herself dressed in the new pair of jeans she loved so much and a basic red tee-shirt that was much more form-fitting than the ones she usually wore. She realized with a start that she actually enjoyed dressing in such a manner at this point. Riza didn't know if this was a good thing or not, but she didn't really care either way. Her own newfound confidence startled her, but perhaps confidence was just the thing she needed.

She picked up a small box wrapped in paper that she had placed on her dresser the night before, hoping for the thousandth time that Roy would like the present she got him. Riza had finally decided, after quite a bit of debate, to get him the watch that had caught her eye in one of the corner stores. It seemed like something he would enjoy, and, even though Jessica assured her Roy would like anything she bought him, she still hoped she chose the right gift.

The job of keeping Roy occupied while the house was being decorated had fallen to her, and she had decided to take him to the cinema Jessica told her had just opened. Riza had never been to a movie theatre – the new fad had yet to reach her small town, and probably wouldn't for quite a while, but Cassandra had assured her it was a place worth going.

Riza placed the box back upon her dresser and turned, walking out of her room. She stopped in front of a mirror hanging in the hall, examining her appearance. As she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, she grinned, deciding on a small change of plans for the say.

She hurried down the stairs, seeing Roy walking out of the kitchen with a glass of water, She approached him and gave him a hug, saying "Happy Birthday, Roy."

Roy grinned. "Thanks," he told her before embracing her in return.

Granted, the two of them stood like that for a bit longer than they probably should have, but Riza pulled back soon enough to look at him. "Come on, I known what we're doing today." She led him to the door and waited long enough for him to put his shoes on before walking out into the street.

"Where are we going?" Roy asked, matching her stride before reaching out to take her hand – the gesture had simply become a habit by this point.

"Well, I'm treating you to a trip to that cinema Jessica has been raving about, but there's something I want to do first."

"And what's that?"

"I want to get my ears pierced."

Roy stopped in his tracks, causing Riza to stop along with him. "You can't be serious."

"And why not?"

"You're actually going to pay to have someone puncture your earlobe with a needle?" Roy was certain she had gone insane.

"Yes." Riza said simply. "What's your point?"

"No way Master is going to let you."

"Since when have I cared about Father's opinion?"

"Fine, then _I _won't let you."

Riza looked up at him, trying to decide whether or not he was serious. "You've got to be kidding me."

"There's no way I'm letting you do it. Do you know how painful that's got to be?"

_No more painful than getting a tattoo._ Riza thought bitterly. "I'm good at handling pain."

Roy knew when he was beaten, but he still didn't like the idea. In a last-ditch effort, he muttered, "But it's my birthday."

"Yes, and it's my decision." Riza countered. "If you're too squeamish to come with me, you can wait outside." She smirked, knowing the exact effect that her comment was going to have.

"I'm not squeamish. I can sit there beside you and be perfectly fine." Roy boasted, a cocky smile on his lips.

"Then prove it." Riza challenged, pulling him through the door of a shop Roy hadn't even realized they approached.

The shop was innocent enough – clearly just a jewelry shop, and Riza led him past people gazing into glass-topped cases. She headed towards the back of the store and approached a woman behind the counter, saying "I'd like to get my ears pierced."

The woman looked at Riza, slightly skeptical. "You have to be sixteen."

"Well, it's a good thing I'm sixteen, then." Riza lied, a smile on her lips. It astounded Roy how easily she could stretch the truth, and with exceptional believability, too.

The woman looked Riza over, apparently deciding she looked her fabricated age, and nodded. "You two just step over there. Take a seat on the stool, and someone will be right with you."

Riza grinned, saying "Thanks" before walking over to the designated area. She perched herself upon the stool, looking up at an astounded Roy.

"You just -" Roy began, only to trail off as Riza lifted a finger to her lips, hazel eyes shining mischievously.

Riza dropped her hand, grabbing onto both sides of the stool as a different woman approached them, a small leather packet in her hand. "Be warned, this is probably going to hurt." The woman advised as she opened the packet, setting it down on a small table.

"I know." Riza stated simply, pulling her blonde hair back from her face with a rubber band the woman had handed her.

"All right, then. Sit still." The woman directed, wiping the end of a needle with some sort of cleaning fluid. Riza looked away from her, feeling her hold her earlobe still and then begin to puncture it with the needle.

Roy saw Riza's hands grip the sides of the stool a little tighter, but, other than that, she showed no sign of pain. Her face remained perfectly stoic, and she didn't utter a sound. Her knuckles growing white was the only thing that betrayed anything at all. The process was repeated with Riza's right war, and, once both earrings were in place, Riza released her death grip on the stool.

Riza left her hair up as advised – so it wouldn't pull on the small silver studs – and paid the woman the money she owed. Once everything was settled, she thanked the woman before taking Roy by the hand and walking out of the shop.

Roy couldn't take his eyes off the small silver spheres now protruding from Riza's earlobes, and he had to ask "Did it hurt?"

Riza looked over at him, a small smile on her lips. "Like hell."

Befuddled, Roy could only look at her. "But you didn't show it. You didn't even cry."

"Crying is a sign of weakness. At least, that's what Father says."

No matter how skewed that statement was, Roy decided to leave the matter alone for the time being. He knew his Master wasn't quite right in the head, but for him to even discourage his daughter from crying was something new entirely.

"Do you like them?" Riza asked, jolting Roy from his thoughts.

Roy looked down at her, smiling as he examined the sight of her pierced ears. "Yeah, I do."

"Good, because I wouldn't take them out if you didn't." Riza laughed.

Roy rolled his eyes. "So why did you ask?"

"Because I knew what answer you were going to give me." Riza grinned, looking a little sly. "I know you, Roy Mustang. You're predictable."

Roy frowned, raising one eyebrow at her. "I am not."

"You just don't want to admit it." Riza teased, looking up at him. She sat down on a park bench, having reached Central's main park.

"That's because I'm not predictable." Roy countered as he sat down beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and smiling to himself when Riza leaned slightly against him. "I can be impulsive when I want to be."

He wasn't quite sure why he did it, really. It could have been to prove his point, or maybe he just wanted to do it. One way or another, the very next moment he found himself with his lips pressed against Riza's, _kissing her._

Realizing what he had done, Roy broke away, a bright red blush on his cheeks. How own look of embarrassment and shock was mirrored on Riza's face, and she seemed to be trying to process what had just happened.

Roy knew he was about to be slapped. He had been around Riza long enough to know that she maintained clear boundary lines and that she resented being touched – though he should have realized by now that he was an exception to that rule. Regardless, he braced himself for the blow he was sure was coming, and when no slap came, he looked down at Riza, surprised.

Riza was still looking up at him, and a moment that felt more like an eternity passed between them. It was then that Riza's hand found its way to the back of Roy's neck, and she pulled him down, pressing her lips against his once more.

Never having kissed someone before, Riza's ips moved clumsily against his at first, but it didn't take long for her to get the hang of it. Like always, she was a fast learner. Roy's arm tightened around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him.

Riza's hand dropped from the back of his neck and she pulled away, smiling up at him with a faint blush on her cheeks. Neither of them said anything, because words were something they never really needed. Everything between them was perfectly clear, and they both knew what the other would have said if they had spoken.

Roy stood up and offered her his hand, grinning like a fool. "So, how about that movie?"

**A/N: Seeing as I start school again next week, I don't know if I'll have the new chapter by next weekend. I'll try my best to get it to you as soon as possible.**

**Up Next:**

**Chapter Eleven: The Final Straw**


	11. The Final Straw

**DISCLAMER: I own nothing other than the fanfiction itself**

**A/N: I know I promised all of you a chapter on Roy's birthday party, but I couldn't find a way to write the chapter to my liking. So, there's been a slight change in plans. Instead of a happy party scene, you get some angsty goodness :)**

**If there's enough demand for it, I will do my best to write the party chapter to a moderately decent level, but, if not, I don't plan on posting anything for it.**

**Chapter Eleven: The Final Straw**

It had only been about a week since Roy and Riza had returned from Central, and, despite obvious physical changes and subtle internal ones, life went about like normal in the Hawkeye household. Berthold had not made any comment on Riza's new, less modest dressing habits – the baggy shirts were long-gone, to Roy's unspoken satisfaction, nor had he said anything about her getting her ears pierced. He acted as though nothing had changed, and, as far as he knew, nothing had. Roy and Riza had agreed that they would not tell Berthold about whatever it was they had between them – it was too complicated to give a name to, and neither of them really felt the need to label it, either.

While Berthold was around, the two teenagers kept the same, standard distance from one another that they had for the past year, and said nothing different from what they would usually say. Of course, they had the uncanny ability to read one-another like a book, and all it took was a subtle glance across the table to pass a message to which Berthold would be none the wiser. Riza still addressed Roy as 'Mister Mustang' when her father was near, much to Roy's amusement. Now that he had gotten her to call him by his first name, he found it almost humorous but also attractive when she used that title – not that he would tell her that, knowing it would only end up getting him hit.

Roy walked up behind Riza as she stood at the stove, putting the finishing touches on that night's dinner. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder, only to have her shake him off. "Stop it, Roy. You know my father's going to be here any minute." She said scoldingly.

"He's in his study – he has no idea that dinner's almost ready." Roy tried to convince her, though he released her and stepped back to lean against the counter.

"He's got an internal clock that'll have him out here in about two minutes. Trust me." Riza moved the pot from the burner and blew out the flame on the stove, turning off the gas.

Sure enough, Berthold came walking down the hallway just as Riza finished setting the table. As usual, he didn't bother to say anything to his daughter or student, simply sitting down at the table, apparently lost in another thought. Riza walked to the table, placing stew into each of the three bowls she had placed out.

Berthold looked down at the meal with slight disdain, as though trying to decide whether or not to eat it. Apparently he figured that going hungry was the less favorable option, because he lifted the spoon to his mouth, tasting it. "Not my favorite." He said flatly.

"Figures." Riza muttered the thought that was supposed to stay in her head as she filled her own bowl.

Berthold looked at his daughter, narrowing his eyes slightly. "What was that?"

Riza remained silent.

"What did you say?" Berthold asked again in a measured tone.

Riza frowned, still looking away from him as she spoke. "I said it figures you wouldn't like what I made, because you never like what I make." As she spoke, it became clear to Roy that she had finally had enough. "And yet you just shut yourself up in your study while I do all the work. All you do is mope around and study your alchemy – no wonder Mom was so miserable!" Riza turned to face her father, a mixture of emotions flashing through her hazel eyes.

The only time Roy had ever heard Riza talk about her mother was when she told him she had died, though she had never specified the cause. At times he wondered if she even knew. All the same, he was glued to his seat, helpless to do anything in the present situation.

Berthold scowled. "Riza Hawkeye -"

"What?" Riza hissed. "Oh, that's right, I'm not allowed to talk about her, am I?" Her voice had risen in volume, and she was fighting back a whirlwind of suppressed anger and emotion that had begun to spill over. She had had enough of being pushed around, and this was the result.

Berthold stood, looking down at his daughter with narrowed eyes. When Riza didn't back down, but rather stared defiantly up at him, he raised his hand and smacked her harshly across the face. The pot clattered against the tile as Riza fell to the ground. When she looked up at him once more, her hazel remained indignant, but lurking in them was the slightest flicker of fear, all beneath a light sheen of water she was fighting back with everything she had.

Before either of them could do or say anything further, Roy shot up from his seat, rushing to place himself directly between father and daughter. His onyx eyes blazed as he looked at his master. "Leave her alone." He growled in a tone he didn't know he was capable of producing. "Or else."

"You won't do anything." Berthold's angry voice held a tone of challenge.

"Try me." Roy narrowed his eyes.

Tension hung thickly in the air as master and student glared at one another, and Roy had no idea which way things were going to go. He was well aware that Berthold was the better alchemist, but he was younger and more agile. If things came to the worst, he and Riza could always outrun him. However, these thoughts ended up being useless, because, to his surprise, Berthold turned away from him.

"Clean up this mess." Berthold's cold words were clearly directed at Riza, and he stalked out of the room without another word. After a moment or two, a loud bang could be heard from down the hallway, signaling that Berthold had slammed the door to his study shut.

At first, relief flooded over Roy. Despite acting brave, he had been nothing less than terrified. Berthold could easily kill him if he wanted to, and that was a thought he did not wish to dwell on for very long. Remembering what had happened, he turned his attention back to Riza, who had sat up during the time he was standing dumbfounded. He knelt on the ground beside her, looking at her with concern.

Riza blinked away the tears that were brimming in her hazel eyes, and her hand gingerly covered the angry red mark upon her left cheek. She did not speak her gratitude as Roy helped her to her feet, knowing it was already understood. Besides, she didn't quite trust her mouth at the moment – anything from a shout to a sob was liable to come out at the moment if she tried to use her voice.

"Let me see." Roy said, carefully moving her hand away. A blow such as that was bound to leave a bruise, and already the vibrant red had begun to fade to a darker purple. Roy scowled, knowing, at the moment, he could very well kill his master out of anger. His look softened as he turned his attention back to Riza, and he stifled a sigh. "Come on, let's get you some ice." He reached out and took her by the hand, knowing it was safe to do so, for Berthold wasn't likely to leave his study for the rest of the night.

**A/N: This was the best place I could think to leave this chapter off, because otherwise it would have been far too long. Thus, I am splitting it into two parts. Next time around you'll get the continuation of this scene, along with a little insight into the aspect of Riza's mother and why Berthold is the way he is.**

**Up Next:**

**Chapter Twelve: Simply Complicated**


	12. Simply Complicated

**DISCLAMER: I own nothing other than the fanfiction itself**

**A/N: Here's the continuation of Chapter Eleven.**

**For the record, I do try to keep everything in my story as canon or near-canon as possible, but everything pertaining to Riza's mother is my own creation, because the world is (regrettably) lacking much information on that particular topic.**

**Chapter Twelve: Simply Complicated**

Roy led Riza out of the house and around the back, stopping in front of the ice box. He reached inside and pulled out a small chunk of ice, placing it lightly on Riza's cheek. She flinched away from the cold at first, but soon let it begin to soothe her injury. Lifting her hand to his, she took the ice from him, choosing instead to hold it to her own cheek, knowing better where the pain resided. Neither of them made a move to go back inside, well aware of the tension waiting for them if they did. Finally, Roy broke the silence.

"What the hell was all that about?"

Riza sighed, leaning back against the side of the house. She sank down to the ground, pulling her knees to her chest while still holding the ice to her cheek. "I just got fed up, is all."

Roy followed suit, sitting down on the ground beside her. "I've never head you talk to him like that before. Then again, I've never seen him hit you, either."

"That's because he doesn't." Riza said simply, looking at the ground in front of her. "He doesn't like it when I bring Mom up – I know that's what made him angry. But I just lost it. I mean, ever since Mom died I have done absolutely everything around here while he just sits in his study. I literally took over her role. It's not fair." She said bitterly. "I couldn't do the things you and Maes could – you could walk around town, hang out with friends, do what you wanted. I had to stay here and keep this place from going to hell more than it already has. I was nine and had to act like I was nineteen. I didn't have a choice."

Riza sighed. "I never thought I was bitter about it, but I guess I just had enough. That man would have died or killed himself by now one way or another if it wasn't for me. I've done so much for him, and he's never once thanked me for it."

Roy wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pressed a kiss to her right, uninjured cheek. "Somehow I don't think his thanks would mean that much." He said honestly.

"No, it wouldn't, but it would still be nice to hear it once in a while."

"Riza, what happened to your mother?" Roy asked, knowing he might be approaching a painful subject, but feeling like it was something he needed to know to understand the entire situation that had just unfolded.

Riza frowned, resting her head on his shoulder. "I don't know. I was at my grandfather's when it happened. Whatever she died from, she had a closed-casket service, so I never saw the body. Rumors went around – some said she had been sick for a long time, but she never looked like she was. Others said that she killed herself, which isn't entirely unlikely, seeing as she lived the same way I am for much longer, and without anyone or anything to make it any better. And some said that she was killed in some byproduct or result of my father's alchemical research. I honestly have no idea."

"The way Father acts when I mention anything about her, you would think he actually did kill her. I'm not even allowed to talk about her." Riza closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She moved the ice from her cheek and lifted her head, looking at Roy.

"So no one knows what happened?" Roy asked.

"No one but Father. My grandfather tried to figure it out for the longest time, and he tried to persuade my father to let me live with him, but Father forbade him from seeing me for some reason or another. At least, that's what it seemed like. Father told me he died soon after." From the way Riza spoke, it was clear that she did not entirely believe this to be the case.

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

"I didn't think it was important." Riza tossed the small amount of steadily-melting ice off into the bushes.

"Well, clearly it is." Roy said, gently turning her head so he could examine the mark on her cheek. Her skin was fading steadily to a purplish-blue color, and, despite knowing she wouldn't want his sympathy, he said "I'm sorry."

"Don't be stupid, Roy." Riza turned her head back so that she could look at him. "There's nothing for you to be sorry about."

"I'll kill him next time." Roy muttered with a dark frown.

"There won't be a next time – at least, I don't think there will be. Father's never reacted that way before – but, then again, I've never said things like that to him before, either. I've always been afraid of him."

Roy knew she was telling the truth. When he first arrived at the Hawkeye household, Riza scarcely made eye contact with her father. She spoke only when spoken to and did exactly what she was told. But now she was getting older and more confident, and she was starting to speak out against the lifestyle she had been forced into due to her mother's death. She had always hid behind the idea that things could be worse, but, after coming to Central with him, she was now painfully aware that things could be much, much better.

When Riza didn't say anything else, Roy looked over at her, a slight frown upon his lips. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Riza said, though she wasn't looking at him and her tone was hardly convincing.

"Are you sure?" Roy asked skeptically.

"Roy, I just don't want to talk about it anymore." Riza stood up, turning and heading back around the house. "I had better clean up the mess on the floor before Father sees I haven't." She murmured, almost to herself.

As she walked off, Roy couldn't help but feel that this was just another thing she was going to ignore, preferring to live in denial and stuff her feelings inside of herself. He couldn't help but wonder what else there was that she hadn't told him that she was trying to deal with on her own. He got to his feet, following her back into the kitchen to help her clean, but dropping the subject entirely. She would tell him what she felt he needed to know when she thought the time was right – he was sure of it.

**A/N: **

**Up Next:**

**Chapter Thirteen: Haircut**


	13. Haircut

**DISCLAMER: I own nothing other than the fanfiction itself**

**A/N: The last two chapters were kind of heavy-hitters, so this chapter is much more light-hearted. As much as I love angst, I can't write it constantly XD**

**This chapter will seem similar to my oneshot by the same name. I assure you that, while it follows the same general plotline, it is different, other than a few lines I liked enough to transfer into this chapter.**

**Chapter Thirteen: Haircut**

In the several months that passed, Riza had learned to lapse back into the unsteady harmony that was her usual life. Despite being more confident, she was aware that she could not backtalk her father (she knew all too well the aftermath doing so would cause) and she continued to go about her life as usual. That wasn't to say she had lost any of her confidence – in fact, it was quite to the contrary. However, she was careful that the person she was and the person she allowed her father to see her as were kept very separate.

And yet, her confidence was continuing to blur the lines not only between her reality and the façade she put on for her father, but also the risks she was willing to take. That was how she found herself standing in front of her bathroom mirror with a pair of scissors in her hand. The way she saw it, hair could always grow back, and she felt like it was time for a change in her life in one of the areas over which she had complete control.

Lifting the scissors, she used the blades to begin cutting considerable amounts of her hair, inevitably making it shorter even than Roy's was. She had been the one to encourage him to grow it out, and yet she hadn't consulted him on whether or not she should cut her own. She could admit that, at times, she wasn't quite fair, but she knew he understood her reasoning.

"Riza!" She could hear Roy's voice calling for her from somewhere outside the bathroom. Her father had gone into town for the day, and she had little doubt what he wanted, but he could wait.

"I'm in here!" She called, cutting another large chunk of hair and letting it fall onto the counter. By now, the majority of her hair had been chopped away, and she began focusing on the detail work of her masterpiece. Perhaps she should give herself a side-bang. She had seen girls in Central with them, and she was curious to see how it would look on herself. Lifting the scissors before her eyes, she cut diagonally downward, letting her hair sweep over her left eye.

A few snips here and there, and the sides of her hair were evened out. Just as she began to move onto the back, she saw Roy's figure appear in the doorway behind her, her eyes looking at him from within the mirror she was facing.

"What the hell did you do?" Roy couldn't help but stare dumbfoundedly at Riza.

"What do you mean?" Riza asked as she glanced at Roy's reflection in the mirror, visible over her own shoulder as she stood before the glass. She knew perfectly well what he was talking about, but she saw no harm in messing with him a bit. Besides, she wanted to see what he would say.

"Your hair!" Roy exclaimed, lifting an accusatory finger and pointing to Riza's reflection. His obsidian eyes were wide, and he watched as Riza lifted one hand and touch the short hair at the nape of her pale neck. Her fingers brushed against freshly-cropped blonde strands, still getting used to the feeling.

"I cut it." She replied simply.

Roy could not understand how she was acting so nonchalantly about the ordeal. At least seven inches of hair had been removed from her scalp, and yet she spoke as if she had simply changed her shirt.

Riza grabbed the pair of scissors off the counter and snipped at a lock of hair on the back of her head, evening it out with the rest of the strands. For doing it herself, she didn't think she did a bad job. She watched as Roy approached her and saw him frown as he looked down at the discarded blonde chunks of hair covering the counter and bathroom floor.

"But why?" He asked, sounding more like she had killed a puppy than changed her hairstyle.

Riza turned around and fixed him with an annoyed, hazel stare. "Because it was my decision. I have every right to do with my hair as I please." Yes, she was being a little defensive, but he certainly wasn't giving her the reaction she had anticipated or even wanted.

Roy evenly met her gaze, surprised by the intensity with which she looked at him. She was staring right into his eyes as if daring him to defy her, to make some sort of negative comment. Roy found himself reluctant to do so, overcome by the feeling that there would be hell to pay if he did.

When Roy said nothing, Riza stifled a sigh and turned back to the mirror. A soft smile graced her lips as she brushed her newly-formed bangs back from her eye. "I like it." She said honestly. Her head felt lighter and she couldn't deny that the shorter cut looked better with the shape of her face. Wondering why she hadn't done this ages ago, she turned around, examining the back of her head as best she could in the mirror as her fingertips searched for uneven strands.

Roy approached her and picked the scissors up off the counter. "Turn around. At least let me help you." He said. When Riza complied, he lifted the scissors and aided her in evening the strands at the back of her neck. "Looks good to me." He said, setting the scissors back down on the counter.

Riza turned, her back resting against the counter as she looked up at him. "You don't like it." She affirmed, a slight frown on her lips.

Roy shook his head. "No, I like it. I really do." He added when Riza gave him a skeptical look. "It's just going to take some getting used to, is all. I'm going to miss your hair – what am I supposed to tug on now?" He inquired, a wry smirk finding its way across his lips.

Riza rolled her eyes and turned back to the counter, sweeping the discarded locks of her hair into the wastebasket. "You're the biggest pervert I know."

"I hope I'm the only one you know." Roy retorted cheekily as he helped her gather strands from the floor. "I'd be jealous if I wasn't."

Riza turned to face him as he straightened up, holding out the wastebasket for him to discard the strands he was holding. She set the trash can down on the floor before looking up at him. Moving closer to him, she leaned up to press her lips against his.

Roy wrapped his arms around her, his fingertips moving to brush against the short hair at the back of her neck. He pulled back just enough to smirk, saying "I think I could get used to this."

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this bit of fluff, because the next few chapters are about to get emotional. We are finally reaching the point where Roy is going to leave, and there probably won't be much, if any, glee in the next few chapters. Don't say I didn't warn you.**

**Up Next:**

**Chapter Fourteen: Prognosis**


	14. Prognosis

**DISCLAMER: I own nothing other than the fanfiction itself**

**A/N: I'm sorry this one is a little short. I have been home sick, and, contrary to my original belief, I did **_**not**_** end up finishing this saga and end up feeling extremely proud of myself. Instead, I lay in bed watching what is sure to be unhealthy amounts of anime as I tried to recuperate from my God-awful ailment. I spent much of my time coughing until I was sure I would die of inadequate oxygen flow. As such, I sympathize with Berthold's condition that is revealed in this chapter, and would probably even give the man a hug at this point. I know your pain, Berthold. But I digress. In short, sorry for the length, but let's be honest, you're lucky to get anything at all from my ailing, sleep-deprived mind. I just love you guys enough to force through my pain and give you what I can.**

**Chapter Fourteen: Prognosis**

It wasn't like Roy to simply barge into his master's study, but Berthold had made no particular rule against it, and, to be perfectly honest, the man sounded like he was choking on his own lungs. From the hallway, Roy could hear Berthold's hacking cough, and it made even him wince. Upon opening the door, Roy was able to see his master doubled-over at his desk, his entire body shaking as he let out one cough after another. The man had gone slightly pale, and it seemed as though he was unable to breathe because he was coughing so hard.

"Master?" Roy reached out one hand towards Berthold, only to have it slapped away harshly. Berthold held his hand up, stopping Roy from talking until his coughing fit was over and he was able to breathe once more.

"Master, are you all right?" Roy questioned again, watching as Berthold took several deep breaths.

"I'm fine." Berthold snapped, his voice raspy from coughing so hard.

"Are you sure, because I -"

"I said I'm _fine_, Mustang." Berthold narrowed his hazel eyes and his voice came out almost like a growl. "Now get out of my study."

Roy hesitated, not having expected such a violent outburst from his master when he was only making sure he was okay. He knew better than to refuse a direct order when Berthold was so angry, however, and he obediently backed out of the study, but not before he saw Berthold cover his mouth and give one last cough.

The door shut with a soft click, and Roy backed away from Berthold's study. No further sound came from inside, and he deemed it acceptable to continue down the hallway. Clearly the accident had set him on edge, because Riza was able to read the emotions on his face quite clearly.

"What's wrong?" She asked, turning her attention to him and setting down the books she had been putting away.

"Is Master sick?" Roy inquired, walking over to her and picking up some of the books. He began to help her place them on the shelves, waiting for her response as she paused to think.

"No… At least, I don't think so. I haven't noticed anything different about him recently, if that's what you mean." Riza mused as she picked up another book and shelved it.

Roy frowned slightly, though he tried not to let his befuddlement show. There was definitely something wrong with Berthold, and, if he was right, it probably hadn't sprung up recently. The way he was coughing made Roy think that it, whatever _it _was, had been going on for a long time. But why was this the first he had seen of it? Had Berthold kept it a secret from them?

If so, why? It made sense that Berthold had been keeping his illness from them if he thought about it – his defensive attitude alone made it clear that he hadn't wanted Roy to know.

"Why do you ask?" Riza's voice jolted Roy out of his thoughts, and she was looking at him with something akin to concern in her hazel eyes.

"Just curious." Roy shrugged. If Berthold hadn't wanted him to know, surely he didn't want Riza to know, either. Of course, with her sharp mind, she would probably figure it out, but he wasn't about to get yelled at for something like telling Riza about her father's sickness. He would let Berthold handle that one.

**A/N: Finally, we can get into the part of the story that I have been dying to write! I am looking forward to writing these next few chapters as much as you are probably looking forward to reading them. So, without further ado ~**

**Up Next:**

**Chapter Fifteen: Enlistment**


	15. Enlistment

**DISCLAIMER****: I own nothing other than the fanfiction itself**

**A/N: I know this one took a long time, but my life has done a complete flip and turned itself on its head. That being said, things should be back to normal this week, and chapters should be coming out as scheduled again. Thanks for your patience and dedication :)**

**Chapter Fifteen: Enlistment**

Roy took one last, brief look around his now-barren room. The furniture remained in place, but every photo, every object, every sign of life was safely packed away in his old, worn suitcase. Shutting the lid, he clasped the buckles on the top of the suitcase before pausing to take a deep breath. He had yet to tell anyone of his plans. Whether he feared Berthold's reaction more than Riza's, he didn't know. He didn't know who he should tell first – Riza's reaction was something to be feared, but Berthold might actually kill him. If that were the case, it would probably be best to get everything out in the open with Riza before he faced his furious master.

However, he lacked any and all enthusiasm as to actually facing her. Her impending reaction was unpredictable (as they usually were) and he didn't have the slightest clue how to prepare for it. Unfortunately, he wouldn't even have the chance.

"Roy, what are you doing?"

Roy heard Riza's hesitant voice coming from his doorway, and he realized he had forgotten to close his bedroom door. Riza had been passing by when she noticed that most everything was gone from his room, and she decided to stop and ask what was going on. However, the uncertain look on Roy's face placed a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach, and she stood there, waiting for his answer.

"Riza, we need to talk."

Hearing those words only intensified the feeling in her stomach, and Riza had half a mind to refuse and walk away from the situation. Yet his tone was seriousness, and she knew that, even if she walked away, she would have to face this sooner or later – whatever _this_ was. Riza stepped inside Roy's room, where he gestured for her to take a seat upon his bed. Riza did as he suggested, and Roy soon joined her. He took a deep breath, trying to find his words.

"Riza, I'm leaving." Roy said, knowing it was best to go ahead and cut to the chase. Riza never appreciated dancing around a topic, and he knew that this would be no different. "Master won't teach me anything more than what I have already learned, and I figure that my prospects are better in the military than they are here." Seeing the pained look on her face, he continued "Please try to understand -"

"I understand, Roy. I understand perfectly well." Riza said, her eyes not meeting his face but staring past him at the wall on the other side of the room. Her tone of voice told Roy that things were not going well at all – a look of pain mingled with an eerily calm voice always spelled disaster when it came to Riza. "Things here aren't good enough for you, so you're leaving. I should have known – I always thought you would, but I told myself you were going to stay. I'm such a fool."

"Riza…" Roy reached out for her hand, but Riza slapped his away.

"Don't touch me." Even that response was level and calm. It was all too clear that there was a storm brewing beneath the surface. "If you wanted to leave, why did you stay so long? Was all of this just some sort of game to you? Did city life get too boring, and you came looking for a bit of fun?" Her hazel eyes narrowed, and she was making accusations out of pain and hurt.

"You know that's not true, Riza." Roy insisted, trying to get her to see where he was coming from. However, it wasn't hard to see how she could think something along those lines. If he wanted to leave due to lack of progress, he should have left years ago.

"Then what is? What's true, Roy? You tell me." Riza snapped, losing any control she had over her tone of voice. "How much of this has been real?"

Somehow, Roy had a feeling that they weren't talking about alchemy anymore. "Everything's been real, Riza. How can you ask me that?"

"It's not that hard." Riza said bitterly. "You say it's real, but apparently it's pretty damned easy for you to pack your bags and leave me." Not here, _me._ And who could blame her? Riza never established personal relationships for this exact reason – in the end, everyone always left.

"It's not easy -"

"Then why did you wait so long to tell me about it?"

Riza's question left Roy at a loss for words. What was he supposed to tell her? That he was afraid of what she would say? That he didn't want to hurt her? Apparently he had taken too long to respond, because Riza only scoffed.

"You're just like everyone else. I thought you were different, but apparently, you're not." By now, Riza was speaking out of sheer anger and pain. She was deeply wounded, and she knew the only way to keep from crying was to become angry. All the same, even that couldn't stop the tears from welling up in her eyes.

"I am different." Roy insisted. "I love you, Riza. You know that."

"If you loved me, you wouldn't be leaving me in this hellhole." Riza retorted, unable to see how he could justify his actions. All the things he had said to her over the years were all for naught. He had promised to take her away from the country, to get her away from her father. He promised to take her to Central, the place where she was happiest because she had actual friends and people didn't judge her because of her lineage.

"The academy is only a couple of years long. After that -"

"After that what, Roy? You go into the military? You fight and put your life on the line? And where does that leave me? Right here, living this same old life. But you know what? If you want to go die for some country that doesn't give a damn about you, fine. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to see your name in the paper one day when I open it at the table. I'll be able to say 'Hey, I knew him once. I wasted four years of my life with him. I gave him everything just to have him leave and throw it all away.'" By this point, Riza was unable to hold back her tears, and she turned her back to Roy, not wanting to let him see her cry.

"Riza, please…" Roy reached out to place a hand on her shoulder, but Riza jumped up from the bed.

"I told you not to touch me!" Her words came out as a shout in an attempt to keep herself from crying any more. She reached up, brushing the glistening trails from her cheeks as she took a deep breath, looking down at him. She gave a bitter bark of a laugh. "You know what? Who cares? I don't need you – you're nothing more than useless." She hissed the last word, driving the insult home with an unprecedented amount of force.

She turned on her heel, attempting to leave the room with a calm air, but she failed miserably, rushing out of his room and down the hall. Roy flinched when he heard her door slam shut. He had just done irreparable damage to whatever bond they shared, and it was beyond his power to fix. Unless he stayed behind, there was no way he could hope to fix things, and, even then, he didn't know if things could ever be the same. He sat on his bed for several long moments – it might have been minutes and it might have been hours; he didn't know. Finally he stood, taking the handle of his suitcase in his hand. It might be cowardly of him, but he had to leave. All the same, he had a strong feeling that this wouldn't be the last time he saw this old house or even Riza. He would be back, eventually.

**A/N: I personally feel bad for Riza. She's pretty much had her heart torn out, stepped on, and thrown out the window. Rage as a defense mechanism is really never the answer, but she pretty much had no other choice, what with her hatred of crying.**

**Up Next:**

**Chapter Sixteen: Honey, I'm Home?**


	16. Honey, I'm Home

**DISCLAMER: I own nothing other than the fanfiction itself**

**A/N: This chapter is set right after Roy completes his training in the military academy. At this point in time, he is around twenty whereas Riza is around eighteen.**

**Chapter Sixteen: Honey, I'm Home?**

Roy glanced at the face of his watch again, frowning when he saw that the hands had yet to move. Perhaps he was just being impatient, but he was certain at least _some _timehadpassed since he last checked his watch. Turning his wrist over, he began to fiddle with the black band that fastened the watch to his wrist. He stopped himself – the watch was too sentimental for him to risk breaking the strap. It was one of the few things he had bothered to keep and the one thing he hardly ever took off.

He reached inside his blue military-issue jacket and removed the letter from his inner pocket. Over the last few years he had written several letters and never received a reply until just before his graduation from the military academy. The letter didn't accept his consistent apologies or respond to his questions about her well-being. However, Roy had known Riza too long not to know the subtext behind her actions. By even writing this letter, it was clear that she had swallowed her pride and had either come to forgive him or moved on entirely. Roy found himself hoping it was the previous situation as he unfolded the letter, his onyx eyes skimming Riza's neat script upon the page.

Dear Roy,

I hope this letter reaches you before you leave the academy. It

seems your time there should be almost up. Just in case, I sent a copy

of this letter to Madam. If it doesn't reach you there, then I have no

idea where to find you.

If you do get this letter, please come home as soon as you can.

Father is very ill and wants to speak with you. He never says it, but I

know he doesn't have very long. Try to get here if there is any way you

can make the trip.

Things aren't looking good. I honestly don't know what to do

at this point. I need you to come home.

Yours,

Riza

Roy read through the letter twice before putting it away. It was short, but it told him everything he needed to know – her choice of words said it all. The meaning of the letter lay not in the morbid news about his master but rather in how she was asking him to come 'home'. This told him that, in her mind, he was still welcomed at Berthold's house. Not only that, but she signed off by calling herself his. If that wasn't just a way of ending her letter, that would mean she had and still was waiting for him.

These simple words gave him hope and filled his thoughts as the train pulled into the station. Roy stood from his seat and removed his luggage from the overhead compartment before getting off the train, stepping into the all-too-familiar station He had no need for directions this time around, and he could feel wondering eyes on his back as he walked out the door. Soldiers never came this far into the country, and none of the townspeople had ever bothered to get to know him well enough to recognize his face.

It was spring now, and, unlike the first time he made this walk, there was no need for him to trudge through snow. His black boots tread along the hard-packed dirt as he made his way down the solitary road he knew a little too well. It was with a sharp pang that he noticed the house had fallen back into a state of disarray during his absence. The grass looked as if it had not been cut in ages, and even the shutters were in need of paint.

The gate creaked when he pushed it open, and Roy made a mental note to repair it before he left – that is, if he wasn't chased off before he had the chance. He forced himself not to hesitate on the walkway, and he strode up to the door with the same nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach he had when he first came to the Hawkeye household. He lifted his hand, knocking three times before dropping his hand back down by his side. In the military academy, discipline and patience were doctrines drilled into the minds of each recruit – Roy, it seemed, had been particularly resistant. He was tempted to just walk inside, but he forced himself to wait.

Despite seeming like an eternity, it was only a few moments before the door opened. Riza stood looking up at him from the doorway, surprise gracing her features. She then smiled, saying "You actually came." That was it – no flowery reunion, no tears, no embraces. They never needed such extravagant things. The look in her hazel eyes showed it all: her happiness at his return, her relief, and, most of all, her forgiveness. It took only one gaze for Roy to know she had forgiven him for leaving.

"As soon as I could." Roy responded with a smile just as large. "Your letter reached me just before I left the academy." He didn't ask why she never responded to his letters – that didn't matter to him now. When he thought about it, he realized that, not only did the postmaster loathe it when Riza entered the shop (yet again, her father's reputation preceded her), but also that stamps weren't free – money was something the Hawkeye household couldn't really afford to spare.

"Come in." Riza told him, stepping aside so he could enter. It was then that Roy first got a good look at her. She had grown taller (though, thankfully, he still held the advantage in height) and she had certainly grown more feminine in his absence. In short, she was even more beautiful than she was when he had left.

Little did he know that he had changed as well. He had grown taller than before, which was to his benefit. Not only that, but his shoulders were broader and he gained a decent amount of muscle mass from his military training. He looked older and his voice had dropped deeper.

Riza glanced at his suitcase, a slight smile upon her lips. If he packed, that meant he was planning on staying a while. She looked up at Roy, finding that he had moved closer to her. He leaned down to press his lips against hers, but Riza raised two fingers, placing them against his mouth.

"You need to see my father."

"He can wait." Roy lightly grabbed her wrist, moving her hand away, Placing a hand on the small of her back, he pulled her closer before leaning down to kiss her. It was a chaste kiss, but that was all they needed to portray years of heartache and separation along with the happiness of this brief moment. Roy was not aware of how much time passed before he finally pulled away, and he was reluctant to let her go. It was necessary for him to do so, however, if he was to see his master.

As if she could read his mind, Riza informed him "He's in his study. He hasn't left it in days."

Roy frowned slightly. So Berthold was worse off than he thought. He moved away from Riza, nodding. "Wish me luck."

It was with a look mingled with regret and pity that Riza said "Good luck. You'll probably need it."

**A/N: Reviews make me a happy author :)**

**The letter looked _so_ much better in Microsoft Word... *sigh***

**Up Next:**

**Chapter Seventeen: Somebody Call A Doctor**


	17. Somebody Call A Doctor

**DISCLAMER: I own nothing other than the fanfiction itself**

**A/N: In this chapter, I used volume 15 of the manga as a reference for the dialogue between Berthold and Roy. However, I did my best to modify it from the original text by reading it through a few times and them typing it how I remembered it.**

**Chapter Seventeen: Somebody Call A Doctor**

Roy made his way down the familiar hallway, admittedly nervous about the conversation he would be having with his master. They had not parted on good terms, and he didn't know if Berthold was still angry with him after all this time. He knocked once upon the door to Berthold's study before cracking it slightly open. "Master?"

Berthold was seated at his desk, hunched over his alchemic texts. Even through his robe, it was clear how gaunt he had become. His skin possessed a sickly yellow tint, and, when he looked up, Roy could see that his eyes were sunken back into his skull. The man was very ill, and the sickness had done irreparable damage to his aging body. Berthold was by no means elderly in years, but his body had worn away into that of an old man. A frown pulled Berthold's lips downwards, and his faded hazel eyes took on a look of disapproval so strong that it unnerved Roy slightly.

"So, you became a soldier after all." Berthold's tone hinted at the fact that he assumed Roy would quit before he actually finished the academy.

Roy nodded. "My goal now is to pass the State Alchemist exam and serve my country." Beating around the bush never did any good when it came to his master.

The sickly alchemist gave a scoff in contempt. "I see you're still not ready to learn my Flame Alchemy."

Unable to keep himself from protesting, Roy blurted out "But haven't I already mastered the basics? You told me so yourself." To not allow him to further his studies was nothing less than injustice.

"You have." Berthold conceded, pausing for a brief moment. "And it was a waste to teach even that to someone who would sell themselves to be a dog of the military." His tone was as bitter and harsh as the look in his eyes.

Roy shook his head, unwilling to give up just yet. "But 'alchemy should be used for the people.' Master, I know that working for the military will allow me to help the people of this country. Amestris' boarders are constantly threatened by other nations. We have to strengthen our military so we can-"

"I'm tired of hearing that same old rhetoric." Berthold cut Roy off with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Roy relented on that topic, but he decided it was time to bring up another point that had been eating away at him for years. "Master, I assure you that, with your skill, you could easily obtain a State Alchemist's license. Honestly, I can't stand seeing someone of your caliber living in such squalor. If you obtained a license, you would be eligible for grants to fund your research. You could-"

"There's no need for that." It seemed Berthold was unwilling to let Roy complete a single thought. "I completed my research years ago. I have created the most powerful form of alchemy – but, in the wrong hands, it would bring nothing but destruction." He paused, letting out a weary sigh. "Alchemists are intelligent creatures who must chase Truth as long as they live. Now that I have completed my research, I have allowed myself to grow complacent. That is why I am a man who died long ago."

"Please, Master, don't say that!" Roy exclaimed, a distressed look in his obsidian eyes.

Berthold doubled over in a coughing fit, hacking as his body struggled to draw in a single breath. His entire body convulsed as he coughed with extreme force, causing blood to fly from his lips and trickle down his unshaven chin. In a flash of weakness, he fell forward, his head smacking against his desk. Before long, he was resting in a small pool of his own blood.

Roy flew into a panic, rushing over to his master and placing his hands upon his thin shoulders. "Master! Master Hawkeye!"

Berthold coughed again, eerily calm about his present situation. His breathing was raspy and his voice was weak as his lungs began to fill with blood. "I wanted to make sure you were ready…" He had to pause to take in a single, congested breath, which was becoming increasingly difficult, "…before passing my research on to you… What a shame… that I won't have any time left to teach you…"

"Get ahold of yourself, Master!" Roy shouted, his mind trying to think of anything and everything he could possibly do to help.

"All my research notes… Riza has them… If you promise your intentions are pure… she will let you have it all… I'm sorry." Berthold began to lapse in and out of consciousness, and Roy's constant and frantic shouts began to fade from his ears. With a scant moment of clarity, he wondered if the boy was actually listening to him. He continued to speak, however, knowing that this might be the last chance he ever had to do so. "I was too absorbed in my research to do anything for you… I'm sorry, Riza… Roy… take care of my daughter… Please…"

That was the first time Roy had ever heard Berthold ask anything of him, and that was when he knew things were more severe than he had ever thought. His master sounded like he was giving him his dying wish. "Master!" He attempted to lift Berthold out of his chair and off his desk, but, despite being frail, the man was still rather heavy. Roy lifted his own head to look around, shouting in the hopes that someone would hear him. "Somebody! Help! Someone call a doctor!" His onyx eyes turned to the door when he caught sight of movement. "Riza!"

Panic filled Riza's hazel eyes at the sight that greeted her. Momentarily frozen in fear, her fingers curled against the doorframe, her shoulders shaking. Her eyes fell on her father, and she let out a scarcely audible gasp. After a brief moment's hesitation, she was able to compose herself enough to jump into action. She raced down the hallway to the telephone her father recently had installed, scanning the numbers written on a sheet of paper tacked to the wall. Finding the number for the town doctor, she turned the dial on the phone until it began to ring.

She waited at the phone, listening to it ring over and over until it was clear that there would be no answer. She slammed the phone back on the hook, hanging up before picking the receiver back up again. Dialing the number a second time, she waited a few moments longer before hanging up once more. She was becoming frantic – why wasn't the doctor answering? Her father needed help! She and Roy couldn't possibly get him into town on their own, which meant that a visit from the doctor was their only hope.

Her eyes turned to the hallway when she noticed Roy approaching her. He was missing his military jacket and the sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up to his elbows. Sweat dotted his brow, and he reached up with one hand to brush it away before stopping in front of Riza. Without a word, he reached out, pulling her into a tight embrace. Riza let the phone fall from her hand – there was nothing a doctor could do now. It was clear that Roy had done everything in his power to save her father, but it hadn't been enough.

Roy held her close, pressing his lips to the side of her head. He felt her shoulders shake, but no tears fell from her eyes and she didn't make a sound. He thought about his master's last request – 'take care of my daughter.' Roy swore to himself that he would do just that, no matter the personal cost. It might be difficult because of his enlistment, but he would find a way. Even if he was simply there if she ever needed him, he would take care of her. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he didn't.

He held back a sigh, knowing that neither of them would shed a single tear.

**A/N: Reviews are my candy - they bribe me to write more :p**

**Up Next:**

**Chapter Eighteen: I Trust You**


	18. I Trust You

**DISCLAMER: I own nothing other than the fanfiction itself**

**WARNING: There is a bit of swearing in this chapter. Rated T+ to M for language.**

**A/N: Once again, I referenced Volume Fifteen of the manga for the very beginning of this chapter up until the point where they leave Berthold's funeral. I used the same method as in the last chapter.**

**Personally, I think that this is the best chapter I have written for this entire story. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**Chapter Eighteen: I Trust You**

Riza straightened up after making sure the wreath of flowers was aligned properly against her father's tombstone. It lay centered just below his name and dates of birth and death, making for a somber picture. Upon straightening up, she smoothed out her black skirt, making sure it hadn't wrinkled. She let out a soft sigh, her head tilted slightly downwards as she addressed the man beside her. "I'm sorry you had to go through all this trouble helping me arrange my father's funeral."

Roy shook his head as he looked over at her. "Don't worry about it. He was my master after all, I would have done anything for him." He assured Riza, lifting one hand to try and brush his gelled hair into a slightly more comfortable position. There was nothing he hated more than slicking his hair back, but it was the only way he could tame it enough to look presentable. He frowned slightly, trying to meet her gaze as he asked "What are you going to do now?"

"I'm not sure." Riza admitted, her frown mirroring his. "Father made sure I got a good education, so I'm sure I'll eventually figure out something to do. There's got to be someone willing to hire me." She had a feeling that this statement was nothing more than wishful thinking, at least in this town. No one would want to hire the daughter of a person they deemed to be a sociopath.

Skeptical, Roy gave a nod of his head. "All right." He consented, but he wasn't sure if her tentative plan would even work out for her. He stuck his hand in the pocket of his black coat, digging around until he found the card he was looking for. He offered it to Riza, saying "But if you ever need any help – anything at all – don't hesitate to contact me at military headquarters. I'll probably end up staying in the military for the rest of my life."

Riza took the card from him, scanning the information printed neatly upon the front. "For the rest of your life?" She mused before looking up at him. Seeming to have realized slightly, she met his gaze as she posed a request. "Please don't die."

Roy paled slightly at this statement, knowing she meant well. All the same, her blatant way of speaking sometimes had a negative effect on what she was trying to say (such as now). All the same, he had known her long enough and well enough to be aware that she meant no malice or ill wishes. "Don't jinx me." Roy murmured, a slight frown upon his lips. No matter her intentions, he didn't need any bad luck hanging over his head. Stifling a sigh, he said "I can't promise you that, Riza. In this job, you never know when you'll wind up dead in a ditch like a piece of worthless garbage." He turned away from her, his gaze staring off into the distance at something only he could see. "All the same, if I can help strengthen this country and protect its people, that would make me happy. That's the whole reason I came to study alchemy with Master. But, even in the end, he never taught me his secrets." He trailed off, his voice slightly bitter. He then started, his hand lifting to rub the back of his neck nervously. "I'm probably boring you…"

"Not at all." Riza assured him. "I think your dreams are noble." She paused, thinking over what she was going to say next. "My father didn't take his secrets to the grave with him. He left them behind in a code that the average alchemist wouldn't be able to understand."

"So Master wrote his secrets down after all?" Roy inquired, looking over at her.

"Not exactly…" Riza hesitated again. "Not on paper, anyway. He said he couldn't risk his life's work being destroyed or have it fall into the wrong hands." She wrapped her arms around herself in an almost reassuring manner. "Roy, can I trust you with my back?"

Roy wasn't quite sure what she meant, but, if she was asking about trust, he knew the answer without any hesitation. "Of course you can, Riza. You can trust me with anything – you know that."

"Good." Riza murmured, looking away from her father's grave and up the hill in the direction of the house. "Come on, we should be heading back. It's going to get dark soon, and we have work to do." With that, she turned and began to walk up the hill, away from the small graveyard consisting of two solitary tombstones.

Roy stuck his hands in his pockets and trudged after Riza, still not sure exactly what she had been trying to say. Trust him with her back? If she was worried he would betray her, she had nothing to worry about (after all, what else could her question have meant other than the fear that he would 'stab her in the back'? He wouldn't do that to her – not again). She didn't look back to see if he was following, and he didn't know how he should take that fact. Surely she wasn't angry with him? He had done nothing to annoy her in the slightest. Perhaps the weight of Berthold's death had finally hit her. Deciding that was the probable cause, he followed her through the front door of the house, which was now entirely empty save for them. Roy turned to remove his coat and hang it up on the rack, painfully aware that Riza still wasn't talking to him. Turning to face her, he was about to ask if she was alright when he suddenly forgot how to breathe.

Riza stood several feet in front of him, her head bowed and her arms crossed over her chest. Her jacket lay crumpled upon the ground at her feet, and she was completely naked from the waist up. Roy's shock transcended not into pleasure but into confusion. Standing out against the pale white color of her back screamed an angry red pigmentation; the ink ran from the base of her neck al the way down to her lower back where it ended just above the top of her black skirt. He stood in silence for what have been seconds or even hours as his eyes roamed the pattern upon her skin. He could feel his heart rate quicken as he began to realize exactly what he was seeing. _All my research notes… Riza has them… _It was unmistakable – the tattoo on her back was the transmutation circle he had seen his master use countless times. It was accompanied by strange characters and designs branching out from the circle itself and covering her entire back, spreading across her smooth skin.

He clenched his fists tightly by his sides, forcing himself to take deep breaths in an attempt to keep his anger under control. He had a lot of patience, but both the Madam and Maes had seen him in a fury and had described the experience as nothing less than terrifying. He knew what he became when he let his anger get the best of him, and he was determined not to let that happen now. However, the more he thought about it and the longer he looked at Riza's back, the angrier he became. Slowly, his rational mind gave way to an overwhelming rage that had bile rising in the back of his throat at the very thought of his dead master.

Roy turned from her without a single word, heading down the familiar hallway to the right. He pushed open the door to his master's old study and stepped inside, looking around at the empty room. It was the first time he had seen that wooden chair vacant since he arrived at the Hawkeye household. Walking over to the cluttered desk, he picked up one of the intricately decorated alchemic tomes. He turned the book over in his hand before grabbing it by the spine, a dark scowl contorting his features. With an inarticulate shout, he pulled his arm back, hurling the book across the room in a flurry of yellowed pages and unrelenting rage. The tome slammed against the wall and tumbled to the ground, opening itself to a page that, at one time, held information relevant to the original owner. Book after book flew across the room, propelled by his angered hand as he unleashed his rage upon meaningless objects incapable of fighting back. It was better that way.

He was powerless to control his temper at this point – something inside him had snapped, and it was impossible for Roy to rein himself in until he dispensed all of his anger towards Berthold vicariously through the possessions he left behind. Somewhere in his mind, Roy was aware that throwing old books would do nothing to remedy the present situation, but it was all he could do. He couldn't fix what had already been done, and he couldn't punish a man who was already dead. Never before had he been tempted to look into the art of human transmutation, but the thought of bringing back his master, if only for a brief moment, to give him what he was due was incredibly appealing. In his right mind, he would have never considered such a thing as even an option, but, in his rage, the only thing keeping him from committing this taboo was his lack of knowledge on the subject.

Roy was unaware of the threats and obscenities pouring from between his lips – the only thing that alerted him to that fact was the reverberation of his growling rage bouncing off the walls. His voice had nearly dropped an octave, and, when he heard himself, he was incapable of recognizing his own voice. The most terrifying part of his anger was the fact that he lost himself in the emotion; when he reached this level of fury, he inevitably turned into a different person than who he really was. At the moment, he was nothing more than a cynical young man with a lack of faith in humanity and a vendetta against a corpse. The worst part of it all was his incapability to bring justice to a crime he hadn't even known existed.

"Why couldn't the bastard have written it in a notebook like a normal fucking person?" Roy thundered, slamming the side of his fist forcefully into the wall beside him. He hissed as a sharp pain shot its way up his arm, and he hardly heard the sound of shattering glass in between his continued obscenities. He turned around sharply, freezing when he saw Riza standing in the doorway, hanging back slightly either out of fear or hesitancy. She had pulled her blouse back on over her torso, but other than the time it would have taken her to redress, Roy had no idea how long she had been there.

Riza stood with her hazel eyes fixed directly on him, a look of resigned acceptance apparent in their depths. Roy stood looking at her, trying to formulate some sort of explanation or response to give. He came up with nothing – there was no denying his actions were outrageous and inexcusable. He had just torn apart her father's study out of anger, and he hadn't even given her the chance to explain on her father's behalf. Of course, there probably wasn't much she could say to change his opinion on the matter, but he had jumped to conclusions; and yet, she had done nothing to revoke these conclusions, leading him to believe he was right about his suspicions. Roy almost wished he had been wrong, that her father hadn't inscribed his research notes upon her back and that she simply had gotten some sort of outlandish tattoo. However, he was well aware that he was correct, and that only made it worse.

Riza said nothing as she stepped inside the room, stopping by his side. She squatted down, brushing away fragments of glass and splintered wood as she reached out, picking up a photograph from amongst the debris. To anyone but Roy, her expression wouldn't have changed, but he knew better than to be fooled by the masks she wore. Behind that hard gaze lay a mixture of shock, sadness, and pain. Certain that it was he who caused this uprising of painful emotions; he turned sideways to face her once more. He couldn't help himself as his onyx eyes flickered down to the photograph she held between her fingers, and he noticed the corner of her mouth turn down ever so slightly.

Rendered in black and white was an image of two young people – one male, one female. The woman had long, black hair and expressive eyes; she appeared to be laughing at something, and there were slight dimples in her cheeks as her lips pulled back into a joyous smile. There was no denying she was beautiful – stunning, even. Beside her stood a tall man with sharply angled features and a wry smirk upon his lips. Even in the colorless photo, his fair hair color was apparent, contrasting with the darker grey color that indicated a deeper pigmentation in his eyes. It took Roy a moment to fully grasp what he was seeing, but, as he looked at the photo, it became clear to him. The woman's face shape and eyes were incredibly familiar: a perfect match to the woman holding the photo in her hands. Berthold was harder to recognize – his hair was cropped short (though it was still a bit longer than Riza's) and, strangest of all, he was actually happy.

Riza stood, her eyes still upon the photograph between her fingers. Expressionlessly, she set the photo down upon her father's desk, turning from it. Seeing Roy's face, she stated simply "It doesn't matter." With that, she turned and walked out of the room, leaving Roy staring after her figure for a brief moment. Snapping back to his senses, he hurried after her, well aware that they were nowhere near done with their conversation. He owed her an apology, and she owed him an explanation.

**A/N: Reviews are greatly appreciated :)**

**Up Next:**

**Chapter Nineteen: Research Notes**


	19. Research Notes

**DISCLAMER: I own nothing other than the fanfiction itself**

**WARNING: Rated T+ to M for a vague, brief sex scene.**

**A/N: Sorry this one took a little longer than usual, but life has been crazy for me recently.**

**As a heads-up, the next chapter probably won't be around until the early to mid portion of next week. I'm going to a convention this weekend and will have no time to work on the story. I'll get it to you as soon as I can, I promise.**

**Chapter Nineteen: Research Notes**

Upon entering the hallway and seeing that Riza had vanished, Roy knew there was only one place she would have gone. Turning left instead of right, he headed down the dimly lit hallway, retreating even further into the interior of the house. Another hallway branched off to the right, and Roy passed by the closed door of his old bedroom. He didn't go inside; nothing was left for him there. Instead, he walked by one other door before turning to face the opposite side of the hallway, peering through the open door into the room he stood in front of. Riza was seated upon her bed with her knees drawn in to her chest, her feminine attire not stopping her from taking up her customary position of comfort. A book lay open in her hands – Riza's traditional escape from reality.

Roy rapped his knuckles twice upon the doorframe before entering, having to step over the discarded pair of black heels lying upon her floor. He glanced over at her desk, able to see a stack of open letters resting in the corner beside her amp; each envelope was printed upon with his own messy handwriting. Apparently his letters had all been delivered, and it was clear that Riza had read them over several times – the envelopes showed the wear of letters removed and replaced far more than once. He looked back over at Riza only to see her hazel gaze fixed upon him.

"I'm sorry." Roy began.

"Roy, you don't have to -"

"Let me talk." This was the first time Riza actually did what he asked her to do without question or protest. "I lost my temper. I know how I get, and I tried not to let it happen, but it did anyway. I'm sorry you had to see me like that."

"It's okay." Riza said dimply, appearing completely unfazed by the events that had just transpired in her father's study.

"You're not afraid of me now?" Roy couldn't help but be surprised. He felt like a monster when he flew into a rage, and he had little doubt that he appeared that way to other people, as well.

"No."

"Why not?" He didn't mean to protest, but he had to know why. However, the answer she gave him was not one he was expecting or one he even wanted.

"Because you remind me of my father."

Her words struck him like a blow to the chest, knocking the wind out of him. His first instinct was to become defensive, to shout that he would never be like that man; another blow hit him when he realized that this was probably the exact thing Berthold would have done. Needing a moment to breathe, he took a seat on the bed beside Riza, resting his head in his hands. The mattress shifted slightly as Riza moved over to him, wrapping her arms around him from behind and resting her head upon his shoulder.

"You know I didn't mean it like that." She murmured, moving a bit closer to him to hold him tighter. Her short hair brushed against his neck, and she considered it a small victory when he lifted his head from his hands.

"I'm nothing like him." Roy insisted, the desperation in his voice hinting that his sanity hinged upon thisn revocation of similarity to his late master.

"No, you're not." Riza agreed. Even if they had similar tempers, Roy was a very different man from her father. A;; the same, she couldn't help but wonder if the idealistic young soldier she held in her arms would have resembled the smiling man her father used to be – that is, if the photograph she found was any indication of her father's youthful temperament.

Roy turned, pulling her into his arms and holding her to his chest. He still wasn't quite certain what he felt towards his old master with regard to Riza's tattoo, but hatred definitely lurked beneath the surface. However, he didn't want to show that side of himself to Riza again, and so he focused on what he felt towards her, instead. He wished he could take away her pain, that he could make everything okay for her; he was aware that these aspirations were futile, but even he could dream. He leaned his head down and pressed his lips against the side of her neck, letting them linger there for a moment before lifting his head back up, suddenly acting upon the urge to capture her mouth with his. Their kiss consisted of all the pain and rage they both felt, coupled with their mutual longing for one another. Riza's hands found their way into his hair, and Roy pulled her completely against his chest.

Breaking away only when he needed air, Roy took a moment to brush a strand of blonde hair back from Riza's face. He looked into her eyes, finding it hard to comprehend how she could remain so positive and strong despite everything that happened to her. He admired her, and he cared for her more than anyone else in the world. He was struck with the sudden realization that he would die for her, and this didn't scare him as much as he felt it should have. Pressing his lips to her forehead, he drew in a deep breath before finally confessing "I love you."

Riza stopped playing with his hair and looked up into his eyes, silent for a moment as his words processed in her mind. For a brief second, Roy was afraid she was going to reject him, but his fears were put to rest when she spoke.

"I love you, too."

With this mutual avowal, their lips met once more in a kiss far more urgent than the last. Her fingers tightened in his hair, and he pulled her into his lap. Frenzied hands stripped away articles of clothing and discarded them with reckless abandon as skin pressed against skin, both of them eager to forget their pain and suffering in the euphoria only the other could provide. The timing wasn't exactly appropriate, but neither of them cared about such things at the present moment. Berthold might have been dead, but the two of them were very much alive and freer than they had ever been - at least inside this house.

Roy hardly remembered the tattoo as his hands ran over the smooth skin of her back, the tattoo causing no differentiation in the texture. Through it all, for a brief and wonderful period of time, they both managed to forget. They forgot everything that had caused them strife and anger and pain, and they realized just how desperately they needed one another. Even after they were through, it was a while before they could bear to break physical contact long enough for Roy to stand up and search the floor for his boxer shorts.

Riza rolled over onto her stomach, her pale legs entangled in the sheets as she watched him. She reached up with one hand to brush her unkempt bangs back from her face, and she sighed as she rested her head upon her pillow. As usual, no words were spoken between them because none were needed. When Roy looked back over at her, he smiled, but the smile soon faded from his lips as his onyx gaze landed once more upon the red markings covering her back. He crossed the room to sit beside her on the bed, extending one hand hesitantly to brush over the intricate inking.

Riza held her breath, waiting for another outburst or angry reaction, and was surprised when, instead, she felt his lips brushing against her skin. Her hazel eyes drifted shut, and she rested her head upon her arms as Roy continued to examine the research notes inscribed upon her back. When he spoke, his voice was nearby, but his words seemed far away.

"There's a cipher here," His fingers brushed against a patch of skin just above her left hip, "but there's a lot of coding. It's going to take me days to figure these notes out, at least." He could tell that speaking about the notes was a huge source of stress for Riza, and he gently worked his fingertips into the skin of her shoulder blades, attempting to get her to relax. When he heard Riza's contented sigh, he knew it was working.

"I don't mind." Riza admitted, her voice half-muffled by her forearm and the pillow she was resting upon. The truth was that she wanted him to stay with her for as long as possible. At the funeral, he had made it clear that he was going to return to the military, and that would leave her alone in this empty house without anyone for company. That was hardly the life she wanted. Perhaps she would sell off the house and move into an apartment in the city – yes, that would be nice, if she had any prospects. At the moment, her future was completely up in the air. Clearly the thought of her future was enough to stress her out again, for she squirmed underneath the pressure Roy applied to a tender spot on her left shoulder just beside her neck.

"We'll worry about all of that tomorrow." Roy decided, moving so that he was able to lay down by her side. He reached out, pulling her against him. A smirk crossed his lips as she moved closer to his chest, her body pressing against his. "I think we deserve a break, don't you?"

"I agree completely."

**A/N: Yes, I know this chapter was a bit happier than what I usually write, but my mind wouldn't allow me to continue until I had given them something at least moderately lighthearted. Don't hate me please .**

** Thank you for your patience! I love each and every one of you. Reviews are adored and read with care :)**

**Up Next:**

**Chapter Twenty: Decoding**


	20. Decoding

**DISCLAMER: I own nothing other than the fanfiction itself**

**A/N: And now we're finally to the end of the story. I spent more time on this chapter because I wanted to end Pictures of the Past on an excellent note, and I hope this chapter does just that. Now, without further ado-**

**Chapter Twenty: Decoding**

Riza could feel Roy's fingertips brush lightly over her skin just above her lower back, tracing what she knew to be the text liking the rim of the circle tattooed there. He had been touching that spot frequently, and, from his lack of attempts at conversation, she could tell he was stuck. "Something wrong?" She inquired, turning her head to face him. She was lying face-down upon the couch with Roy seated on the floor beside her, a pencil in his hand as he scratched away at the notebook laying open upon the table.

"I can't figure this out." Roy admitted, his fingers absentmindedly tapping upon her back. Riza briefly wondered if he even knew he was touching her. "I should have known using the cipher was too easy. It worked for the first part, but it changed – or the lettering did. Using the cipher, this portion is nothing but nonsense."

"Let me see what you have." Riza sat up and slid off the couch to take a seat beside Roy. Plucking the pencil from between his fingers, she leaned over the notebook, tapping the eraser against her bottom lip as she scanned the words Roy had written on the page. She could feel him watching her intently, though she didn't give much thought as to whether it was her body or mind that was intriguing him at the moment. "The cipher translates it into hyphenated numbers."

"Exactly. They don't represent elements, and I have no idea what else they could be." Roy sounded frustrated, and Riza didn't need to look at his face to know he was frowning.

Riza leaned back against the couch, letting out a sigh. Her eyes closed as she delved into deep thought. After a moment, she shot straight up, clearly having had an epiphany. "Wait here." She handed the pencil back to Roy as she stood up, rushing down the hallway. Roy sat confusedly upon the floor, watching her retreating form. Riza returned moments later with a large book in her hands; Roy instantly recognized it as the alchemic tome from Berthold's desk.

"Read me the first set of numbers."

Roy scanned the notebook in front of him, saying "42-35-7."

Riza plopped down on the couch and opened the book in her lap. She flipped through the pages and drew her finger across the text. "'By.' Write down 'by.'"

As he scribbled down the word, Roy gave her the next series. "390-2-15."

"Condensing."

"272-10-3."

"Oxygen."

Roy looked up at her, arching a singular eyebrow. Riza grinned. "Page number, then line number, then word number." She informed him, turning the book so he could see.

The pair of them continued like this for hours, changing positions every so often; at one point, Roy had to decipher another portion of Riza's back, which was in the same format of code. It was clear that Berthold had hidden something major if he had gone so far as to make a code out of the already complicated cipher he wrote his notes in. During one of their breaks, the two of them decided to call into town and order dinner using the new telephone. Roy insisted he pay, and he refused to hear anything to the contrary.

Days passed in this manner, and they began to blur together; they weren't necessarily boring days, but they began to grow monotonous. It wasn't until a week later that Roy happened upon a breakthrough. He began scribbling on the paper like a madman, and, as he ripped the page from the notebook, he exclaimed "Riza, get me a lighter!"

Riza complied, pulling her shirt on over her head before walking to the end-table and withdrawing a silver lighter from inside the drawer. She handed it to Roy, who had stood up and was waiting by the back door. The look on his face said it all – he had figured out the secret. Scratched upon the paper in his hand was the same circle emblazoned upon Riza's back, and his eyes held a spark she had never seen before.

"Come on." He said eagerly, taking her by the hand and leading her out the back door. The pair followed the familiar path down to the pond where they swam when they were kids; Roy wanted to practice over the water as not to set fire to anything. "Stay back – I don't want you to get hurt." Roy said, leaving Riza standing several feet behind him. The last thing he wanted to do was burn her.

Advancing several more steps, Roy turned to face the pond. He took both the paper and lighter in his right hand and flipped open the lid of the lighter. He inhaled deeply before extending his arm and striking the flint. Almost instantaneously, a stream of fire shot forth over the water, cracking like thunder. The sharp like of flame vanished after about fifteen feet – he would have to practice his distance and accuracy – but he had mastered the basic concept. His excitement faded when he looked back over his shoulder at Riza and saw the expression she wore.

A look of mixed remorse and happiness battled across Riza's face, and she gave him a hesitant smile. She wanted to be happy for him, she really did – however, she couldn't help but wonder if she had just condemned him to a life of solitude just like the one her father had led. It pained her to think about Roy hunched over books, his life slowly bleeding out of him at the cost of his alchemy.

No. She wouldn't let that happen to him – not if she had a say in the matter. With that decision made, the remorse fled from her features, and she allowed herself to be joyful and proud of his accomplishment. "You did it!" She exclaimed, rushing over to him and throwing her arms around his neck.

-x-x-x-

"Eastern Command wants me to report for duty two days from now. With the train ride there, that means I'm going to have to leave tomorrow." Roy mused regretfully as he ran his fingers gently through Riza's short hair. When he received no response, he asked "What are you going to do?"

Riza turned her head on his shoulder to look up at him. "I don't know, but I'm not staying here. I'll probably sell the house and whatever I don't want to keep; if you want anything out of my father's study, take it. I'm going to clear this place out. My father didn't leave me much, but, after selling everything, I'll probably have enough to get started somewhere before I get a job."

"Any idea where you'll go?" Roy asked, dropping his hand from her hair so that he could wrap his arm around her shoulders and pull her closer.

Riza shrugged. "Central, maybe? I don't know. I don't really have a plan; all I know is that I can't stay here."

"That's part of the reason I joined the military. I want to serve our country, but I also don't really know what I want to do with my life."

"But you have a career in the military. I mean, at least you have some sort of grasp on your life, even if you don't stay a soldier for very long."

"True." Roy conceded.

"I'm jealous of that. I don't really have any talents I can use in the world."

"Come on, there has to be something." Roy insisted.

Riza paused, thinking it over. "I can shoot a gun." When Roy looked at her skeptically, she sat up a bit. "I'm serious. Father never trusted people, so he kept a rifle in the hall closet. When Mom died, I thought it would be a good idea to learn how to defend myself, so, when Father wasn't home, I'd take it out and shoot. I'd clean it up and put it back before he even got home – he never knew. I haven't shot in ages, though."

"I want to see this." Roy chuckled, an amused look on his face. Sure, Riza could have an attitude at times, but her shooting a gun? He just couldn't picture it.

Taking this as a challenge, Riza stood up and looked down at him as she placed her hands on her hips. "Go get a couple of glasses out of the kitchen and meet me outside."

Seeing that she was serious, Roy stood up, still amused. "Alright." He said, walking into the kitchen and removing a few of the older glasses from the cabinet before walking outside. He had barely set one down upon an old tree stump when he heard Riza's voice.

"Move it further back."

Looking up in surprise, he turned to see Riza standing several feet away with an old rifle in her hand. Complying, he took several steps back and placed the glass on top of the wooden outside table.

"Further."

She had to be joking. Nevertheless, Roy moved the glass until it was sitting on top of one of the fence posts. Riza gauged the distance before releasing the safety on the gun and lifting it. "Back up."

Roy did as she said, placing enough distance between himself and the glass to avoid the stray bullets he was sure would be coming. Had he not heard the bang and the shattering of glass, he wouldn't have known Riza had shot the gun at all. The old rifle probably had a powerful kick, but Riza hadn't moved an inch.

"Lucky shot!" Roy called as he replaced the glass, certain that she wouldn't be able to do it again.

Glasses shattered one after the other without a single bullet missing the target. Once the gun was empty, Riza set it down and rotated her right shoulder a few times. "I'm a little rusty." She admitted.

Roy looked at her in disbelief as he made his way back across the yard. "That's insane. Your aim is perfect. I have military training and I probably would have missed at least once!" He shook his head, a smile on his lips. "You should be a sharpshooter!" He laughed, showing that he was only joking.

Riza laughed with him, though she couldn't help but wonder if he had a point. Perhaps she could put her one significant talent to good use – and the perfect place to do that was in the Amestrian military. It was then that she made her decision: she was going to become a soldier.

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who stuck with me until the end! I love each and every one of you and I hope you enjoyed my story. A lot of time and effort went into this, and I hope you had as much fun reading it as I did writing it.**

**Please remember to add me to your Author Subscription list – I will be publishing a couple of oneshots at some point along with my newest multi-chapter fic. It will center around Riza and Roy's time in the Ishbalan War, and I should have the first chapter up this upcoming weekend. Keep an eye out!**

**Thanks once again, and don't forget to review!**

**Love, Envioussnake**

**EDIT: My follow-up fanfiction is titled **_**Hell's Battlefield.**_** Check it out for Roy and Riza's time during the Ishbalan War of Extermination.**


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